New Jersey Transit - Random Thoughts Thread

[B35 via Church]

3 hours ago, DaTransitMan4608 said:

That Blvd East corridor is heavy. In addition to the 128, you got the 165/166/168 there and (pre-pandemic of course) you still would have full buses during peak periods. They need any type of capacity they can get their hands on for that line, Howell has 45' MCIs, and the line is basically a hop and skip from the Port. 

Makes you wonder how packed a rail line of some sort would be between it (Blvd East, alone) & Manhattan proper....

[JLiu15]

Does anyone know what type of destination sign the 2001-2003 MCIs have? Cptdb just says flip dot. I'm guessing Luminator Megamax as most of their current buses have Luminator Horizon AFAIK.

Also their old MCI CNG buses that are long gone - their LED destination sign looks unlike any of the buses that are in service today. Their text is really spread out. Does anyone here know the model of that destination sign as well?

 

 

[BreeddekalbL]

@46Dover you cleared for service yet? and if you are how do you like the new mci's?

[QM1to6Ave]

NJT doing its usual bang-up job of customer service LOL

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/passenger-falls-asleep-on-nj-transit-gets-trapped-inside-train-at-rail-yard/2597572/?_osource=SocialFlowFB_NYBrand&fbclid=IwAR35i9sUFus7-OZODV-H5iQJGLUSzQvvqsrXox26VMPUo_zWsiOXN0UL_ug

 

[NBTA]

What's a fun NJT route that you'd guys would recommend? 

[46Dover]

On 8/27/2020 at 11:16 PM, BreeddekalbL said:

@46Dover you cleared for service yet? and if you are how do you like the new mci's?

“Graduated” yesterday and breaking in now.  
I drove the 17000s for Lakeland so I’m used to the new buses.  Other than that they’re brittle as all get out, I like them pretty good

[go25]

8 hours ago, NBTA said:

What's a fun NJT route that you'd guys would recommend? 

In what context; fanning, driving?

[NBTA]

4 minutes ago, go25 said:

In what context; fanning, driving?

Fanning, from anywhere.

[B35 via Church]

On 9/4/2020 at 9:21 PM, NBTA said:

Fanning, from anywhere.

Generally speaking, I like fanning in Central Jersey & South Jersey..... If I were to give you a starter route to fan, it'd probably be the #137 Toms River direct... nice hour-and-a-half ride between PABT & the Toms River P&R... The 137 locals via rt. 549 to the P&R I like fanning as well.

[46Dover]

Well, this Monday, the 495 bus lane returns to action

[B35 via Church]

Early this morning, I took the #139 to the 64H... Only 6 pax on the bus (64H I'm referring to) throughout the ride (myself included) & I was the only passenger left on the bus past Old Bridge P&R.... I was also the only person that boarded at Lakewood (bus terminal)..... 1 person got on somewhere in Howell (wasn't paying attention to the exact stop; too dark out & I wasn't looking at the display inside the bus at the time dude got on) & 3 people got on at Freehold Center..... Another guy got on at one of those intermediate stops in Freehold.

I get that he (likely) had to do the full run regardless, but in some strange kind of way, I felt bad.... Taking away from his chill time or whatever - if it weren't for me taking the full route all the way to Lincoln Harbor... Nobody boarded between Grove st PATH & Lincoln Harbor either..... Not that it would've mattered (being that morning service back to PABT on the 156/158/159R around 7am is rather frequent), but after asking me where I was getting off at (when we hit Grove st), we skipped Hoboken Terminal (cool to see a an MCI on the #126 on layover btw)..... It had me thinking, how many people from Central Jersey are really seeking that part of the gold coast (pre-pandemic, I mean)...

But yeah, seeing the P&R's along the way (Aldrich, Union Hill, Old Bridge) dead like that though..... ouch.

Edited September 19, 2020 by B35 via Church

[46Dover]

On 9/18/2020 at 11:17 PM, B35 via Church said:

Early this morning, I took the #139 to the 64H... Only 6 pax on the bus (64H I'm referring to) throughout the ride (myself included) & I was the only passenger left on the bus past Old Bridge P&R.... I was also the only person that boarded at Lakewood (bus terminal)..... 1 person got on somewhere in Howell (wasn't paying attention to the exact stop; too dark out & I wasn't looking at the display inside the bus at the time dude got on) & 3 people got on at Freehold Center..... Another guy got on at one of those intermediate stops in Freehold.

I get that he (likely) had to do the full run regardless, but in some strange kind of way, I felt bad.... Taking away from his chill time or whatever - if it weren't for me taking the full route all the way to Lincoln Harbor... Nobody boarded between Grove st PATH & Lincoln Harbor either..... Not that it would've mattered (being that morning service back to PABT on the 156/158/159R around 7am is rather frequent), but after asking me where I was getting off at (when we hit Grove st), we skipped Hoboken Terminal (cool to see a an MCI on the #126 on layover btw)..... It had me thinking, how many people from Central Jersey are really seeking that part of the gold coast (pre-pandemic, I mean)...

But yeah, seeing the P&R's along the way (Aldrich, Union Hill, Old Bridge) dead like that though..... ouch.

Yes it is very disturbing to see P&Rs to the point you’d see more tumbleweeds than cars.  Mother’s P&R is a perfect example, so much so that my instructor was able to get me and another student (my co worker at Lakeland) the full complement of wheelchair training.  I will say that the Route 23 Transit Center has an (ever so slight) uptick in patronage.  Heck, there were more cars parked at my former employer than I could remember in recent times.  The 495 XBL finally opening Monday could be a sign (I hope) that things are on the up and up. 

[B35 via Church]

14 minutes ago, 46Dover said:

Yes it is very disturbing to see P&Rs to the point you’d see more tumbleweeds than cars.  Mother’s P&R is a perfect example, so much so that my instructor was able to get me and another student (my co worker at Lakeland) the full complement of wheelchair training.  I will say that the Route 23 Transit Center has an (ever so slight) uptick in patronage.  Heck, there were more cars parked at my former employer than I could remember in recent times.  The 495 XBL finally opening Monday could be a sign (I hope) that things are on the up and up. 

How's things over there at Willowbrook mall/P&R, relatively empty over there also?

...and since you mention it, are there any major differences with the (operation of the) wheelchair lift apparatus on Lakeland's buses vs. that of NJT's buses? Or is it basically the same shit?

[46Dover]

17 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

How's things over there at Willowbrook mall/P&R, relatively empty over there also?

...and since you mention it, are there any major differences with the (operation of the) wheelchair lift apparatus on Lakeland's buses vs. that of NJT's buses? Or is it basically the same shit?

It’s pretty empty that way too even though the mall itself has seen an uptick in patronage with the slight increase in indoor dining, but the Shoppers stop and the P&R are still pretty empty.  
 

One of the more interesting differences I found out between the wheelchair doors on Lakeland’s 17000s State buses vs 18000-20000 on NJT Proper, is the wheelchair door opens and  closes automatically on The NJT buses, but Lakelands’ (and I suspect the other private carriers) rely on manual muscle power.

[DCTransitFilms]

Hey guys how can I apply for a student pass for NJ Transit? I tried applying for it via my college's website and it gave me the "website will be coming back shortly" when I try and log in. Not sure how to apply for it.

[B35 via Church]

Interesting that the [3am #559 trip out of Lakewood] interlines with the [5:35am #553 trip out of Atlantic city]....

[Tranzitfan81]

South Jersey bus shortage/swap now effecting both Washington Twp and Newton Avenue:

 

Unusual sight on Mybus now: 5326 on the 409- Usually Turnersville garage doesn't help Camden garage with NABIS especially on an MCI route.  All week the 409 has had a Camden NABI in the evening (5900 or 6000)

Not unusual but still ironic (this evening especially) 19138 on the 406- Ironic because 5326 could have just done that 406 run this evening.  Turnersville ( Washington Twp) uses NABIs on their MCI routes often.  The 406 and the 412 are usually the first victims for NABIs when there's no MCI available. 

I wonder when 18044 and 19137 will be completed with repairs.  

I guess they will continue to struggle until the new Electric buses come sometime next year.

[B35 via Church]

Alright, so what's the story with the full service lines, as far as fare payment with cash is concerned? What's the actual policy right now; permissible or not?

I'm seeing buses with paper signs stating that you have to pay the exact fare (in other words, the driver isn't making change), and on other buses, the drivers aren't accepting cash at all (not just talking about the routes that serve major terminals, being at a major terminal at that specific point & time either... That much I get).... I'm asking because the last two #139's I took to Lakewood in the early AM, several people along route 9 at random points got denied access/service because they tried to pay with cash (and didn't have a ticket or the app on their phone or whatever)....

-------------------

Side note: I find the new (program within the) TVM's between [the time you touch the screen to start the purchasing process] & [the time the ticket is emitted from the machine] to be a tad bit time consuming.... Leave the e-commerce purchasing experience for purchasing things online....

Edited September 25, 2020 by B35 via Church

[46Dover]

2 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Alright, so what's the story with the full service lines, as far as fare payment with cash is concerned? What's the actual policy right now; permissible or not?

I'm seeing buses with paper signs stating that you have to pay the exact fare (in other words, the driver isn't making change), and on other buses, the drivers aren't accepting cash at all (not just talking about the routes that serve major terminals, being at a major terminal at that specific point & time either... That much I get).... I'm asking because the last two #139's I took to Lakewood in the early AM, several people along route 9 at random points got denied access/service because they tried to pay with cash (and didn't have a ticket or the app on their phone or whatever)....

-------------------

Side note: I find the new (program within the) TVM's between [the time you touch the screen to start the purchasing process] & [the time the ticket is emitted from the machine] to be a tad bit time consuming.... Leave the e-commerce purchasing experience for purchasing things online....

Honestly I am not clear on exact change, but in a related story while in training, there was a similar message on one of the buses (with the whole NJ TRANSIT The Way To Go message) out of my garage to which my instructor made a couple of phone calls and got verification that such a policy did not exist.  Drivers could get into some major trouble for things like that

[go25]

20826 on the 378... ok then Big Tree 

[Lawrence St]

Are the Neoplans fare free atm? Someone told me they are since they don't have driver shields.

[1train2255railfan]

8 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Are the Neoplans fare free atm? Someone told me they are since they don't have driver shields.

The ones that depart from PABT are not, since you have to purchase a ticket to board them. Concerning the others, I'm not too sure, but they may be. 

[DCTransitFilms]

This a bit random but I saw one of Hilton’s GoBus scheme buses (6395) operating on the 1 along West Side Avenue. A little bit odd lol.

[B35 via Church]

On 9/25/2020 at 3:37 PM, 46Dover said:

Honestly I am not clear on exact change, but in a related story while in training, there was a similar message on one of the buses (with the whole NJ TRANSIT The Way To Go message) out of my garage to which my instructor made a couple of phone calls and got verification that such a policy did not exist.  Drivers could get into some major trouble for things like that

So this is infact, something that (some) drivers are voluntarily doing.... Good to know. Thanks.

[B35 via Church]

Well, thanks to the 11:30am trip to Livingston Mall on the #70 being 17 mins. late (some type of festivity or whatever was going on in Downtown Millburn, and there was an unusual amount of passenger activity in Summit... Something must have been going on there also), my trip went to pot.... Plan was to catch the 1:05pm trip on the #73 to E. Orange after the fact, but we got to Livingston Mall at 1:10 (I ended up taking the next trip of the #73; the 1:40pm)...

Did the 1st trip of the morning on the 126 (6:30am), then did the 87-6-83-76-70-73-5, then I cut it short & headed home.... If everything went to plan, I was going to do the 72-74-92-107 back to PABT after having gotten off the #5

Side note: I don't think I've ever been on a PATH train during a Saturday afternoon that left Newark-Penn so empty...

Side note #2: Finally got to ride those #2xxxx artics (I rode #20805 on the #70). Sweet.

* One of these days I'm going to ride every single #7x route in one shot; well drawn out/drummed up routes; there's not one of them I don't like (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79)