New Jersey Transit - Random Thoughts Thread

[Lawrence St]

3 hours ago, Tranzitfan81 said:

I am a South Jersey native here...but I have noticed in a lot of photos that some buses in North Jersey still operate without bike racks.  I know when the NABIs were introduced in 2008 and 2009, that seemed to have changed and NJT put bike racks on most of them even in North Jersey, but I have noticed some of them have been removed.  Why is that so?  

Back in the day ( 1990s), the bike racks were on Flexible buses in Camden, Trenton and Atlantic City areas and same with the 30 and 40 foot Novas when they ran.  I guess it is something I have noticed and I am curious as to why. 

Some of the NYC routes have the bike racks removed because of the tight clearance around PABT.

[go25]

Looks like Academy's fall from grace continues, as it seems they have lost the Hudson County bus lines contract as well. The 2, 22, 23, 88, and making their return to Coach USA; the 10, and the 119. The op will be coming from Elizabeth garage

[JLiu15]

5 hours ago, go25 said:

The 2, 22, 23, 88, and making their return to Coach USA

They were originally operated by Coach USA? 🤯

Which Coach USA garage?

[biGC323232]

5 hours ago, go25 said:

Looks like Academy's fall from grace continues, as it seems they have lost the Hudson County bus lines contract as well. The 2, 22, 23, 88, and making their return to Coach USA; the 10, and the 119. The op will be coming from Elizabeth garage

What....Coach USA is not gonna be able to handle them routes out of Elizabeth........Me personally they should give the 10 to Greenville and the 119 to NJT Ironbound and let Meadowlands take the rest of them....Thats me personally....

Edited May 25, 2021 by biGC323232

[go25]

5 hours ago, JLiu15 said:

They were originally operated by Coach USA? 🤯

Which Coach USA garage?

Not those routes, the 10 and 119 are returning to Coach USA, the others are going to be switching operator for the first time in a long time

[DCTransitFilms]

When these shifts gonna take affect? And no wonder why I got a comment on my FB post saying "Soon to be Coach USA". 

9 hours ago, JLiu15 said:

They were originally operated by Coach USA? 🤯

Which Coach USA garage?

I believe they were from Red & Tan and then became academy in 2012 when they threaten to eliminate the route. This is Route 10 before: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NJT1539.jpg

[go25]

2 hours ago, DCTransitFilms said:

When these shifts gonna take affect? And no wonder why I got a comment on my FB post saying "Soon to be Coach USA". 

I believe they were from Red & Tan and then became academy in 2012 when they threaten to eliminate the route. This is Route 10 before: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NJT1539.jpg

Come some time next month, ONE Bus will take over the routes. For now, Academy still have them.

[TrainFanInfinity]

Was there some type of shortage yesterday? I noticed some odd appearances during the evening rush... 8270 was tracking on the 68 and 9051 on the 64. I believe said buses are normally out of Northern (Oradell & Meadowlands respectively); they are back around the usual area today.

[553 Bridgeton]

On 6/16/2021 at 6:46 PM, TrainFanInfinity said:

Was there some type of shortage yesterday? I noticed some odd appearances during the evening rush... 8270 was tracking on the 68 and 9051 on the 64. I believe said buses are normally out of Northern (Oradell & Meadowlands respectively); they are back around the usual area today.

Bunch of breakdowns. Cngs usual break downs. And 21000s having issues already.

[trainfan22]

My Rahway short turn train is delayed at North Elizabeth due to the train crew needing "police assistance" SMH. First time this ever happened to me on commuter rail.

 

 

Always wanted to fan these weekend Rahway short turns, for some reason it departed from track 14 at NYP.... a LIRR track, didn't know NJT had departures on the LIRR side of penn on weekends.

[checkmatechamp13]

2 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

My Rahway short turn train is delayed at North Elizabeth due to the train crew needing "police assistance" SMH. First time this ever happened to me on commuter rail.

Always wanted to fan these weekend Rahway short turns, for some reason it departed from track 14 at NYP.... a LIRR track, didn't know NJT had departures on the LIRR side of penn on weekends.

Those Rahway short-turns are just North Jersey Coast Line trains that branch off south of Rahway. If you check the schedules, the times line up.

[B35 via Church]

Took the full #67 day - well, sort of... Apparently there was some type of issue with the bus, where the back up beeper kept randomly going off - as the bus was moving forward..... So we had to switch buses at Casino Dr... Luckily, Howell is basically right there.... Luckily, the downpour had stopped for the brief moment the 3 of us (passengers) were switching buses (no more than 5 mins. later, another downpour commenced)...

The replacement bus, was another adventure altogether.... Not too long after we left Lakewood Terminal, there was a police cruiser blocking off EB traffic along Ocean av., short of Linden av. in Lakewood (westbound traffic was unimpeded).... Luckily, we had a local (resident) of the area that was on the bus, because the b/o had no idea what to do & the police was of no help whatsoever... She (the passenger) was the one that guided the b/o to (eventually) get back on course.... This was what we ended up doing, detour-wise... The looks of the local residents were priceless; as if to say, wtf is this bus doing on our local/residential streets.... As for the lady that guided us, she got off at Brick Plaza....

Then there was the normal weekend traffic along commercial Brick Blvd. & along Hooper av. that we had to contend with.... Ughk, just a mess.

The trip I took was the 10:51 out of Nwk-Penn, scheduled to arrive at 1:32.... We left on time, but arrived at Toms River P&R at 1:53.

Let me tell you, it felt MUCH longer than a 21 minute delay.

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

....and then there was the BS on the #319 to Atlantic City.

Never mind the bus arriving late (2:05 arriving 2:15, eventually pulling out at 2:23)... Being that the doors were locked to get to the bathrooms at the P&R (and the bus itself not being one with a bathroom on it), two women had to bust a leak (for lack of a better term).... So she (the b/o) hightailed it to the Forked River service area, so folks can use the bathroom.... The 2 ladies came back within 5 mins... But just as said ladies were coming back, an older dude (that was sitting in the adjacent row of seating from me) decides at the last goddamn minute that he's gotta go.... Myself & the dude sitting in front of me (both of us of which, were chopping it up with this other dude, that kept showing off the transitapp on his phone) were rather livid at this whole stopping off at the service area along the GSP to begin with.... He took his sweet time too.... We spent a whole 8 mins. in that service area..... All of this, led to this trip arriving at Atlantic City a whopping 3-damn-30 (3:30); 25 mins. late....

I would have been even more miffed, if this was a trip that I took time out to plan for... Everything fanning-wise I did today was completely spontaneous (#70, #73, #67, #319, #551, #409).... I had a ticket for the #67 that I never used, that I purchased a couple weeks ago... Looked up at the big board after getting off that #73 that the #67 was within range of departing soon, so I said f*** it & took it....

Side note: I didn't know they started up the #316.... I like the little sun logo (to denote that it's summers only) in the destination sign... I was thinking about doing the #552 (instead of the #551) to the #313/315 to Philly, but I was unsure of what time either of those 2 routes left Cape May....

[biGC323232]

On 6/27/2021 at 2:00 AM, B35 via Church said:

Took the full #67 day - well, sort of... Apparently there was some type of issue with the bus, where the back up beeper kept randomly going off - as the bus was moving forward..... So we had to switch buses at Casino Dr... Luckily, Howell is basically right there.... Luckily, the downpour had stopped for the brief moment the 3 of us (passengers) were switching buses (no more than 5 mins. later, another downpour commenced)...

The replacement bus, was another adventure altogether.... Not too long after we left Lakewood Terminal, there was a police cruiser blocking off EB traffic along Ocean av., short of Linden av. in Lakewood (westbound traffic was unimpeded).... Luckily, we had a local (resident) of the area that was on the bus, because the b/o had no idea what to do & the police was of no help whatsoever... She (the passenger) was the one that guided the b/o to (eventually) get back on course.... This was what we ended up doing, detour-wise... The looks of the local residents were priceless; as if to say, wtf is this bus doing on our local/residential streets.... As for the lady that guided us, she got off at Brick Plaza....

Then there was the normal weekend traffic along commercial Brick Blvd. & along Hooper av. that we had to contend with.... Ughk, just a mess.

The trip I took was the 10:51 out of Nwk-Penn, scheduled to arrive at 1:32.... We left on time, but arrived at Toms River P&R at 1:53.

Let me tell you, it felt MUCH longer than a 21 minute delay.

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

....and then there was the BS on the #319 to Atlantic City.

Never mind the bus arriving late (2:05 arriving 2:15, eventually pulling out at 2:23)... Being that the doors were locked to get to the bathrooms at the P&R (and the bus itself not being one with a bathroom on it), two women had to bust a leak (for lack of a better term).... So she (the b/o) hightailed it to the Forked River service area, so folks can use the bathroom.... The 2 ladies came back within 5 mins... But just as said ladies were coming back, an older dude (that was sitting in the adjacent row of seating from me) decides at the last goddamn minute that he's gotta go.... Myself & the dude sitting in front of me (both of us of which, were chopping it up with this other dude, that kept showing off the transitapp on his phone) were rather livid at this whole stopping off at the service area along the GSP to begin with.... He took his sweet time too.... We spent a whole 8 mins. in that service area..... All of this, led to this trip arriving at Atlantic City a whopping 3-damn-30 (3:30); 25 mins. late....

I would have been even more miffed, if this was a trip that I took time out to plan for... Everything fanning-wise I did today was completely spontaneous (#70, #73, #67, #319, #551, #409).... I had a ticket for the #67 that I never used, that I purchased a couple weeks ago... Looked up at the big board after getting off that #73 that the #67 was within range of departing soon, so I said f*** it & took it....

Side note: I didn't know they started up the #316.... I like the little sun logo (to denote that it's summers only) in the destination sign... I was thinking about doing the #552 (instead of the #551) to the #313/315 to Philly, but I was unsure of what time either of those 2 routes left Cape May....

Wow...Thats some serious NJT Bus fanning right there....I need to do that kind of fanning one day...

[Lawrence St]

On 6/27/2021 at 2:00 AM, B35 via Church said:

Took the full #67 day - well, sort of... Apparently there was some type of issue with the bus, where the back up beeper kept randomly going off - as the bus was moving forward..... So we had to switch buses at Casino Dr... Luckily, Howell is basically right there.... Luckily, the downpour had stopped for the brief moment the 3 of us (passengers) were switching buses (no more than 5 mins. later, another downpour commenced)...

The replacement bus, was another adventure altogether.... Not too long after we left Lakewood Terminal, there was a police cruiser blocking off EB traffic along Ocean av., short of Linden av. in Lakewood (westbound traffic was unimpeded).... Luckily, we had a local (resident) of the area that was on the bus, because the b/o had no idea what to do & the police was of no help whatsoever... She (the passenger) was the one that guided the b/o to (eventually) get back on course.... This was what we ended up doing, detour-wise... The looks of the local residents were priceless; as if to say, wtf is this bus doing on our local/residential streets.... As for the lady that guided us, she got off at Brick Plaza....

Then there was the normal weekend traffic along commercial Brick Blvd. & along Hooper av. that we had to contend with.... Ughk, just a mess.

The trip I took was the 10:51 out of Nwk-Penn, scheduled to arrive at 1:32.... We left on time, but arrived at Toms River P&R at 1:53.

Let me tell you, it felt MUCH longer than a 21 minute delay.

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

....and then there was the BS on the #319 to Atlantic City.

Never mind the bus arriving late (2:05 arriving 2:15, eventually pulling out at 2:23)... Being that the doors were locked to get to the bathrooms at the P&R (and the bus itself not being one with a bathroom on it), two women had to bust a leak (for lack of a better term).... So she (the b/o) hightailed it to the Forked River service area, so folks can use the bathroom.... The 2 ladies came back within 5 mins... But just as said ladies were coming back, an older dude (that was sitting in the adjacent row of seating from me) decides at the last goddamn minute that he's gotta go.... Myself & the dude sitting in front of me (both of us of which, were chopping it up with this other dude, that kept showing off the transitapp on his phone) were rather livid at this whole stopping off at the service area along the GSP to begin with.... He took his sweet time too.... We spent a whole 8 mins. in that service area..... All of this, led to this trip arriving at Atlantic City a whopping 3-damn-30 (3:30); 25 mins. late....

I would have been even more miffed, if this was a trip that I took time out to plan for... Everything fanning-wise I did today was completely spontaneous (#70, #73, #67, #319, #551, #409).... I had a ticket for the #67 that I never used, that I purchased a couple weeks ago... Looked up at the big board after getting off that #73 that the #67 was within range of departing soon, so I said f*** it & took it....

Side note: I didn't know they started up the #316.... I like the little sun logo (to denote that it's summers only) in the destination sign... I was thinking about doing the #552 (instead of the #551) to the #313/315 to Philly, but I was unsure of what time either of those 2 routes left Cape May....

I will never understand why any driver is willing to do the #319. Shit's nearly 3 hours one way making numerous stops along the way. A coach bus going directly to A/C is a different story.

[553 Bridgeton]

11 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I will never understand why any driver is willing to do the #319. Shit's nearly 3 hours one way making numerous stops along the way. A coach bus going directly to A/C is a different story.

I do it. It’s a high seniority line. 

[Lawrence St]

6 minutes ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

I do it. It’s a high seniority line. 

How do you do it? Do they give you short breaks in between long distance stops?

[biGC323232]

3 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

How do you do it? Do they give you short breaks in between long distance stops?

Maybe at each end...But to be real most drivers prepare themselves for long Trips like that....The 319 is nothing to some of they other routes in the south....Try taking the 409 from trenton to Philly or the 317 from phiily to asbury park....

[553 Bridgeton]

7 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

How do you do it? Do they give you short breaks in between long distance stops?

Egg harbor 319s get 1-3hrs in New York 

Meadowlands 319s get 1-2hrs in Atlantic City 

Howells319s get 1-2 in either New York or Atlantic City 

Trips to New York are always 2hr35min or less if you get a fast driver

Trips to Atlantic City are 2hr40min or less if you get a fast driver

[mfs NJT459]

I saw on the GTFS, Howell has 6 buses on the 319 weekdays, 7 on the weekends w/ the summer schedule

[B35 via Church]

20 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

I will never understand why any driver is willing to do the #319. Shit's nearly 3 hours one way making numerous stops along the way. A coach bus going directly to A/C is a different story.

Lol.... The summers only #319's that go all the way down to Cape May must really unfathomable to you then....

9 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Do they give you short breaks in between long distance stops?

IDK if they're "given" per se, but some b/o's take breaks at Toms River P&R regardless.... The trips that go down to Cape May, they'll also take breaks at Wildwood.

9 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

Maybe at each end...But to be real most drivers prepare themselves for long Trips like that....The 319 is nothing to some of they other routes in the south....Try taking the 409 from trenton to Philly or the 317 from phiily to asbury park....

As with anything, if you do something long enough, it becomes second nature... Muscle memory... I mean, before, I used to think a 6 hour fantrip was crazy - now I feel like I'm shorting myself with an excursion that short.... The #139 to the #559 (another monster, b/w Lakewood & Atlantic City, all local stops) is light work for me now, I've done fanned those two routes in succession so many times....

I have to check my logs, but I'm not sure if I ever did the #317 to the #409 (or vice versa) ... Feel as if I did.... In any event, now that the #409 ends inside Philly's Greyhound bus terminal (along with the #317), I don't have to do that walk from 6th/Race to 10th/Filbert (Greyhound terminal) anymore.... Not saying that there necessarily should be something, but I wish there was something (a bus route, I mean) that took you from Trenton to say, New Brunswick, then I could simply do the #815 to the #116 or something to get back to NY.... The only thing that's bothersome for me about taking the #409 from Philly, is the fact that I have to worry about taking the f***ing NEC back to NY..... I would rather "bus" it out from Trenton to NYC than take the NEC....

His comment inspired me to want to do the #319 from PABT to Cape May, to the #316 (Cape May - Philly Express)... It won't be this weekend though, but I want to do it before #316 service ends for the year (whenever that exact date is)....

[paulrivera]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Lol.... The summers only #319's that go all the way down to Cape May must really unfathomable to you then....

Does the same driver go from New York all the way to Cape May?

[checkmatechamp13]

3 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Not saying that there necessarily should be something, but I wish there was something (a bus route, I mean) that took you from Trenton to say, New Brunswick, then I could simply do the #815 to the #116 or something to get back to NY.... The only thing that's bothersome for me about taking the #409 from Philly, is the fact that I have to worry about taking the f***ing NEC back to NY..... I would rather "bus" it out from Trenton to NYC than take the NEC....

If the Coach USA #100 ran weekends, it would make it a lot easier. You could take the #606 from Trenton to Palmer Square and then catch the #100 back to NY (or New Brunswick for more fanning). 

Unless you wanted to do a late Friday night fantrip (Coach USA #100 -> #606 -> #409 -> #551 -> #319). You could even get that early #319 trip to Journal Square (4:25am out of Atlantic City). Though of course, you'd probably doze off on at least one of those rides.

[553 Bridgeton]

1 hour ago, paulrivera said:

Does the same driver go from New York all the way to Cape May?

Yes they do. Saturday and Sunday I pull the 405 trip from cape may to New York and the 1130 back to ac with a 2hr break in ny. You have to like driving in order to do work like this. It sounds long but it really does go by quick.

[JLiu15]

Buses have been weird today...there's been 18000s tracking on Wayne routes, such as 18009 on the 195. 18007 and 18005 were also tracking on the 161 and 192, respectively.

[B35 via Church]

20 hours ago, paulrivera said:

Does the same driver go from New York all the way to Cape May?

As was said, yeah, it's the same b/o... No driver changes along the way.

Side note: Come to think of it, of all the 'fanning I've done in NJ, I've seldom seen mid-route b/o swaps....