NJT Cross-Honoring Question

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I have a meeting in Weehawken to attend, and I apparently can take a few lines to get there from the Port Authority.  I downloaded the NJ Transit App and bought the tickets I needed, but I realized afterwards that I meant to buy tickets for another line since it appears to make fewer stops.  My question is does NJ Transit allow you to use your tickets (in this case show my activated ticket on my phone) on any of the lines serving the area of Weehawken I'm going to, since the zones are the same?

[Cait Sith]

I have a meeting in Weehawken to attend, and I apparently can take a few lines to get there from the Port Authority.  I downloaded the NJ Transit App and bought the tickets I needed, but I realized afterwards that I meant to buy tickets for another line since it appears to make fewer stops.  My question is does NJ Transit allow you to use your tickets (in this case show my activated ticket on my phone) on any of the lines serving the area of Weehawken I'm going to, since the zones are the same?

 

From my experience, if the location is the same zone as your ticket, regardless of the route, you should be good, at least with physical tickets.

 

I'm not sure how that translates with the app.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

From my experience, if the location is the same zone as your ticket, regardless of the route, you should be good, at least with physical tickets.

 

I'm not sure how that translates with the app.

That was my fear.  Either way though, I'm still glad I got them on the app.  I was actually going to make a trip in advance to get the tickets an the Port Authority, but then I remembered the app.  

[B35 via Church]

You won't have any trouble if it's the same zone.... At worst, you'll be asked (by the b/o) where you're going.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You won't have any trouble if it's the same zone.... At worst, you'll be asked (by the b/o) where you're going.

I took the 126 both ways. As I see the bus pull in, I already was logged into the app. Went to activate one of the tickets and show the driver my phone as I thought it was activating, but as I went to sit down, I checked the phone again to see that I didn't go through. The driver didn't give me any hassle. Was spiffy but dressed down (my typical Euro dress shirt and tailored pants with brown suede drivers, but I didn't feel like putting a tie on - just wayyy too humid for that so I went to the meeting without one). Coming back the activation went through. To my surprise it didn't show the bus#, just the zone, so they clearly cross honor. What was surprising was how many people use that app. It does make things a lot easier that's for sure. I had flashbacks of all of the bums at the Port Authority trying to shake you down after you got your tickets from the ticket booth. Between the app and the ticket machines all about, it makes things very easy, so basically I still have one ticket left over. lol Given how heated that meeting was, who knows. I may actually need to go there again. lol

 

I was also shocked by how clean the local bus was with cushioned seats. Much cleaner and more civilized than our local buses. lol Then again this was the Weehawken/Hoboken area so most of the people on the bus both going and coming were well dressed business types.

[DaTransitMan4608]

I was also shocked by how clean the local bus was with cushioned seats. Much cleaner and more civilized than our local buses. lol Then again this was the Weehawken/Hoboken area so most of the people on the bus both going and coming were well dressed business types.

The local buses here have some good cushion packing on the seats. It's a universal thing, all the NJT buses never really had any "hard" seats. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The local buses here have some good cushion packing on the seats. It's a universal thing, all the NJT buses never really had any "hard" seats.

 

Yeah I have to remind myself that I'm not using the NYC system. Kind of like how I'm shocked by how much cleaner PATH trains are. No vagrants either.

[Far Rock Depot]

Just so you know for the future, The ticketing for buses is pretty relaxed about the route printed on the tickets. I work in jersey myself. I have a two zone ride to work and a three zone ride back. My two zone would say 186 and I'll use the 178, but both are a two zone trip for me(I've also used a 126 one time no problem). Sometimes I'll buy my three zone back home at GWB and it'll be for the 182 while I use the 166 back home. The route doesn't matter as long as its the same number of zones. Hope this helps for the future.

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just so you know for the future, The ticketing for buses is pretty relaxed about the route printed on the tickets. I work in jersey myself. I have a two zone ride to work and a three zone ride back. My two zone would say 186 and I'll use the 178, but both are a two zone trip for me(I've also used a 126 one time no problem). Sometimes I'll buy my three zone back home at GWB and it'll be for the 182 while I use the 166 back home. The route doesn't matter as long as its the same number of zones. Hope this helps for the future.

 

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Yeah that's probably why they don't actually show the route # when you buy tickets on the phone. They show it initially, but upon activating the ticket, it only shows the zone.  The last time I bought tickets was a while ago before they had the app, and I always purchased them for specific lines, so there was no mixing up of the tickets, hence my curiosity.

[Far Rock Depot]

I'm the opposite. I would rather, when traveling from NY, buy paper tickets myself. One can lose your phone, not get a signal, or have the app malfunction (which happened recently and made the news) and you can't move your account to another device. Call me old school, but better safe than sorry you know?

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

I'm the opposite. I would rather, when traveling from NY, buy paper tickets myself. One can lose your phone, not get a signal, or have the app malfunction (which happened recently and made the news) and you can't move your account to another device. Call me old school, but better safe than sorry you know?

 

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My meeting was in Weehawken and I was freaking out because I thought there would be serious tunnel traffic and I would arrive late, but in the back of my mind, I was also thinking about the NJT glitch. lol As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I went to activate the first ticket and it never activated.  The driver and I both assumed it was activating when I showed him my phone, so when I sat down and saw that the spinning had stopped and it hadn't activated, I said oh well and laughed, so I basically have that ticket on there and won't use it unless I have another meeting soon in NJ with a similar zone.  Possible, but highly unlikely since it's the summer now and I try to avoid attending meetings unless I have to be there in person. Too hot to be running around.  I don't like getting paper tickets now unless I have to because of the homeless hounding you in the Port Authority.  It's a lot easier on the phone, and I can buy them from anywhere. I purchased the tickets in my office several days before.  

 

I think it's fine for singles, but I have the app for Metro-North, and for my monthly pass, I still stick with the paper "Metrocard" pass. Too much money to chance it.

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

I have a meeting in Weehawken to attend, and I apparently can take a few lines to get there from the Port Authority.  I downloaded the NJ Transit App and bought the tickets I needed, but I realized afterwards that I meant to buy tickets for another line since it appears to make fewer stops.  My question is does NJ Transit allow you to use your tickets (in this case show my activated ticket on my phone) on any of the lines serving the area of Weehawken I'm going to, since the zones are the same?

As long as the value of the physical ticket covers your length of travel, it's usually OK.

Ticket stitching will work too.

That's when you have multiple ticket values covering one distance.

 

I have the fare chart if you'd like to see it. It was updated just after NJT raised fares.

The link to those NJT fare charts leads to my OneDrive:

 

The link gives read access. You shouldn't have to log on.

 

https://1drv.ms/f/s!AlW-ZYlueHvEhNQqrdFqnyy_42UBGA

[Via Garibaldi 8]

As long as the value of the physical ticket covers your length of travel, it's usually OK.

Ticket stitching will work too.

That's when you have multiple ticket values covering one distance.

 

I have the fare chart if you'd like to see it. It was updated just after NJT raised fares.

No, I knew the fares went up. To be honest, unless I'm going to a meeting out there, which is usually in Hoboken or Weehawken just across the river, I usually stick with the 163 express bus to Garden State Plaza for the tax free shopping, so that's generally the only time I need tickets, and of late Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have been blah in person, or I can just purchase what I need on line from them so I hadn't been out there in years.  Sad but true. That mall needs to step up their food options because I usually would go there, shop and jump right back on the express bus and head back to Manhattan to eat. lol

[Far Rock Depot]

Doesn't the one way ticket on the app have a time limit?

 

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[MassTransitHonchkrow]

No, I knew the fares went up. To be honest, unless I'm going to a meeting out there, which is usually in Hoboken or Weehawken just across the river, I usually stick with the 163 express bus to Garden State Plaza for the tax free shopping, so that's generally the only time I need tickets, and of late Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom have been blah in person, or I can just purchase what I need on line from them so I hadn't been out there in years.  Sad but true. That mall needs to step up their food options because I usually would go there, shop and jump right back on the express bus and head back to Manhattan to eat. lol

Not so sure about tax free. the legislature has considered eliminating that for funds to complete the Gateway project.

With federal dollars likely to be yanked, it's an increasingly possible thing for them to do.

 

I agree. The variety of stores suck. I suggest you take the Newark Light Rail for better or affordable options. Earlier this year, I took it for a spin. $1.60 is a godsend given how much a swipe costs east of the river.

And there's a Wendy's just yards from the last stop in Bloomfield.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not so sure about tax free. the legislature has considered eliminating that for funds to complete the Gateway project.

With federal dollars likely to be yanked, it's an increasingly possible thing for them to do.

 

I agree. The variety of stores suck. I suggest you take the Newark Light Rail for better or affordable options. Earlier this year, I took it for a spin. $1.60 is a godsend given how much a swipe costs east of the river.

And there's a Wendy's just yards from the last stop in Bloomfield.

For clothing it's tax free.  In any event, I think the fares are reasonable for what you get. The buses were on-time, clean and the drivers were courteous.

[Far Rock Depot]

For clothing it's tax free. In any event, I think the fares are reasonable for what you get. The buses were on-time, clean and the drivers were courteous.

On-time? Clean? Courteous? You don't ride often do you? Lol

That maybe the case on the 126, but let me tell you the stories of my people, the NJT commuter.

On-time:some routes yeah. But let one bus break down-which actually happens more frequently than the MTA-and you wait, and wait, and wait. Some routes you'll be waiting about an hour.

Clean: OK, on the inside I'll give you that. Wait till it rains. The outside will prevent you from seeing out the window from the inside.

Courteous drivers: when you are to them, yes. But other than that, these drivers are more gangster than MTA drivers. They have zero patience. I've been on plenty of buses that have flat out left people at stops for taking a few seconds too long. If you dont flag them down at a stop, they will zoom right past you. And not every route is an "exact fare route" with fare boxes. Most are "full service routes". You have them a bill and they make change. You'll see many.....frustrations from the drivers to passengers. Sometimes I applaud their gangsta. Depending on the situation. Most of the things I see wouldn't fly with the MTA supervisors.

 

Another beef I have with NJT, their constant use of MCI cruisers on local, frequently used routes. They're good on routes with highway travel. But use a route on let's say, Blvd East, which sees crowds. That "standing room only will quickly turn into "no room". standees on a cruiser on a local route (even the ones from NYC are "local routes", like the 166 I use) are common practice. They never do order enough Non-Over the road buses.

And dont get me started on contract routes. Those are the ones that are NJT routes, with NJT buses, but are operated by other companies (like Community Coach). a lot of their drivers are flat out rude, their frequencies are all over the place (like on the 756) and some buses just flat out no-show. (Also like the 756).

Once I started commuting on NJT, I kinda stopped complaining about the MTAs buses. and you KNOW there's a lot of complaints about our bus service.

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

On-time? Clean? Courteous? You don't ride often do you? Lol

That maybe the case on the 126, but let me tell you the stories of my people, the NJT commuter.

On-time:some routes yeah. But let one bus break down-which actually happens more frequently than the MTA-and you wait, and wait, and wait. Some routes you'll be waiting about an hour.

Clean: OK, on the inside I'll give you that. Wait till it rains. The outside will prevent you from seeing out the window from the inside.

Courteous drivers: when you are to them, yes. But other than that, these drivers are more gangster than MTA drivers. They have zero patience. I've been on plenty of buses that have flat out left people at stops for taking a few seconds too long. If you dont flag them down at a stop, they will zoom right past you. And not every route is an "exact fare route" with fare boxes. Most are "full service routes". You have them a bill and they make change. You'll see many.....frustrations from the drivers to passengers. Sometimes I applaud their gangsta. Depending on the situation. Most of the things I see wouldn't fly with the MTA supervisors.

 

Another beef I have with NJT, their constant use of MCI cruisers on local, frequently used routes. They're good on routes with highway travel. But use a route on let's say, Blvd East, which sees crowds. That "standing room only will quickly turn into "no room". standees on a cruiser on a local route (even the ones from NYC are "local routes", like the 166 I use) are common practice. They never do order enough Non-Over the road buses.

And dont get me started on contract routes. Those are the ones that are NJT routes, with NJT buses, but are operated by other companies (like Community Coach). a lot of their drivers are flat out rude, their frequencies are all over the place (like on the 756) and some buses just flat out no-show. (Also like the 756).

Once I started commuting on NJT, I kinda stopped complaining about the MTAs buses. and you KNOW there's a lot of complaints about our bus service.

 

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LOL... I tend to only travel in the tonier parts of New Jersey like Ridgewood for example, so taking the 163 from the Port Authority to the last stop was never a problem, and the times that I went was generally off-peak, as we have offices all in various parts of New Jersey.  The ride on the 126 was very quick as I only had to go to the first stop out of the tunnel.  Coming back I got a bus after 20:00 since I was able to get out of the meeting a bit earlier thank God, so I didn't experience any real crowding and had a seat to myself both ways. I am aware of the overcrowding on some lines, which is why some of my colleagues refuse to come to our New York office that live in New Jersey. lol I guess I try to coordinate my travel there to off-peak times when possible.  One of my colleagues lives in Upper Montclair and is always complaining about how horrible the commute is, be it by bus or by train.

[Far Rock Depot]

LOL... I tend to only travel in the tonier parts of New Jersey like Ridgewood for example, so taking the 163 from the Port Authority to the last stop was never a problem, and the times that I went was generally off-peak, as we have offices all in various parts of New Jersey. The ride on the 126 was very quick as I only had to go to the first stop out of the tunnel. Coming back I got a bus after 20:00 since I was able to get out of the meeting a bit earlier thank God, so I didn't experience any real crowding and had a seat to myself both ways. I am aware of the overcrowding on some lines, which is why some of my colleagues refuse to come to our New York office that live in New Jersey. lol I guess I try to coordinate my travel there to off-peak times when possible. One of my colleagues lives in Upper Montclair and is always complaining about how horrible the commute is, be it by bus or by train.

You got it easy. I work in Englewood and have issues. And I reverse commute. My schedule has me using two of three routes (166,178,186) and usually both NYC terminals. I've used the 126. Its a short, reliable route that uses nabi's exclusively (and an exact fare route). On the 166 local, you'd be surprised how many people use that route at all times it operates. Service out of the GWB is horrible. Back when I used a monthly, I would usually take the "scenic route" and basically take an extra bus (usually via fort Lee) just to try out alternates just in case. That would usually be hit or miss. My favorite alternate was to take the 756 from Englewood to fort Lee (10 mins) for the 158 express (ft lee to port athority-30 mins) but that 756 is the worst on reliability.

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

You got it easy. I work in Englewood and have issues. And I reverse commute. My schedule has me using two of three routes (166,178,186) and usually both NYC terminals. I've used the 126. Its a short, reliable route that uses nabi's exclusively (and an exact fare route). On the 166 local, you'd be surprised how many people use that route at all times it operates. Service out of the GWB is horrible. Back when I used a monthly, I would usually take the "scenic route" and basically take an extra bus (usually via fort Lee) just to try out alternates just in case. That would usually be hit or miss. My favorite alternate was to take the 756 from Englewood to fort Lee (10 mins) for the 158 express (ft lee to port athority-30 mins) but that 756 is the worst on reliability.

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Likely due to the GWB too...

[Far Rock Depot]

Likely due to the GWB too...

One would think, as I did when I first started commuting to jersey. But when I travel on it, its just a lot of steady moving traffic in both directions. Most of the breakdowns of buses happen off the bridge. And the scheduled headways are atrocious. An average hour between buses. I usually have 12:55 178 or the 1:00 186. If I miss both, the next are 1:55 and 2:00 respectively. Saturdays are easier with the 186 leaving at the top of the hour and the 178 leaving on the :20's.

 

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[QM1to6Ave]

One would think, as I did when I first started commuting to jersey. But when I travel on it, its just a lot of steady moving traffic in both directions. Most of the breakdowns of buses happen off the bridge. And the scheduled headways are atrocious. An average hour between buses. I usually have 12:55 178 or the 1:00 186. If I miss both, the next are 1:55 and 2:00 respectively. Saturdays are easier with the 186 leaving at the top of the hour and the 178 leaving on the :20's.

 

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I have the exact same experience you mentioned a few posts back...when I (rarely) need to use NJT, all I can think is "jeez, comapred to this, the MTA runs like a top-notch professional agency", which is really saying something. You can really see the difference in quality between NJT and MTA employees and equipment, on the whole. 

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

For clothing it's tax free.  In any event, I think the fares are reasonable for what you get. The buses were on-time, clean and the drivers were courteous.

I agree. I don't ride often either, I admit, but their buses are far more presentable, and they know how to take care of their linen covered seats.

 

@Far_Rock_Depot if I were a NJT rider occasionally using NYCT I would have a harsher opinion as well.

 

Service out of the GWB is horrible. I entered NY after taking at least two buses to Hoboken so I could use PATH. It was pricier, but I saved time. A toll booth malfunctioned when I was there a few summers back and it got bad.

[Far Rock Depot]

I agree. I don't ride often either, I admit, but their buses are far more presentable, and they know how to take care of their linen covered seats.

 

@Far_Rock_Depot if I were a NJT rider occasionally using NYCT I would have a harsher opinion as well.

 

Service out of the GWB is horrible. I entered NY after taking at least two buses to Hoboken so I could use PATH. It was pricier, but I saved time. A toll booth malfunctioned when I was there a few summers back and it got bad.

Thats the thing, I only started commuting on NJT this past February.

 

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[MassTransitHonchkrow]

Thats the thing, I only started commuting on NJT this past February.

 

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Oh. Then you probably have more insight than I ever did.