NJ Transit Doesn't Have To Be Awful: These Riders Have A Plan To Fix It

[checkmatechamp13]

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/09/nj-transit-buses-dont-have-to-be-awful-these-riders-have-a-plan-to-fix-it.html

[Mtatransit]

NJ Transit could start by rounding all fares up to the nearest 25 cents before anything. 1.85, 3.05 really? Anyone want to pay exact change?

 

They could then try to simplify the bus system. Some buses can be straightened and some deviation eliminated. More routes should also be added. In Central Jersey, its seems apparent that NJT only cares about Route 9 and nothing else, unless its a branch of a route from Route 9 

[Ron2themax]

 

9 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

NJ Transit could start by rounding all fares up to the nearest 25 cents before anything. 1.85, 3.05 really? Anyone want to pay exact change?

 

They could then try to simplify the bus system. Some buses can be straightened and some deviation eliminated. More routes should also be added. In Central Jersey, its seems apparent that NJT only cares about Route 9 and nothing else, unless its a branch of a route from Route 9 

Route 9 being the money maker and those folks along the route have a loud voice, hence NJT will cater to them more unlike some of the local routes they don't care about. It's a shame really because you would expect thise folks who are working in the transit industry, in particular NJT would be pro transit. They'll do what they can to attract riders of the future and current riders for transit growth and caring for the environment. Rather than just collecting an easy paycheck and slash service just because one of the reasons they don't have enough drivers, catering to the popular routes and have outdated bus garages that are not up to modern standards and holding capacity vehicles into the 200s if not 300. You know I often question as to where was the cry out from the public during the Christie Administration when he literally threw NJT into the ground. It's like they just went along for ride until they get a new Governor to clean up the mess. If I go off topic I apologize. NJ Transit should be in the likes of LACMTA, Seattle King County Transit and other mid to large size transit agencies that already invest in transit and into the future.

[Ron2themax]

19 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

https://www.nj.com/traffic/2019/09/nj-transit-buses-dont-have-to-be-awful-these-riders-have-a-plan-to-fix-it.html

Good luck to coalition if they think NJ Transit would make the fare structure on flat fare. Ain't gonna happen since it's a state operated system and not a city or municipal transit agency. As far as tap and go, did NJT had that pilot program in Jersey City's Greenville Garage of Buses where they have that tap device next to the driver and farebox? I think it's a trans-hudson like tap and go..I could be wrong

[N6 Limited]

For tap and go to work on the bus you'd have to tap on and off.  In order to make sure people tap off,  They could take the highest fare when you tap on, and make a correction when you tap off.

[jass]

On 9/28/2019 at 1:51 PM, Ron2themax said:

Good luck to coalition if they think NJ Transit would make the fare structure on flat fare. Ain't gonna happen since it's a state operated system and not a city or municipal transit agency. As far as tap and go, did NJT had that pilot program in Jersey City's Greenville Garage of Buses where they have that tap device next to the driver and farebox? I think it's a trans-hudson like tap and go..I could be wrong

They could make it flatter by making the zones larger.

Of course it makes sense that a bus going from NYC to Lakewood costs more than a bus from Metuchen to Edison.

But maybe a bus that only runs in Newark should only be one zone instead of two or three?

Combining zones 1 and 2 into a $2 flat fare would be an easy start.

 

[N6 Limited]

How are the zones determined? Are there routes that travel on the same road but have different zone boundaries in that vicinity?

How are tolls addressed between NJT, PANYNJ and NJTPA?

[B35 via Church]

On 10/10/2019 at 10:25 AM, N6 Limited said:

How are the zones determined?

I'd like an answer to that question myself.... I think it's largely arbitrary.

On 10/10/2019 at 10:25 AM, N6 Limited said:

Are there routes that travel on the same road but have different zone boundaries in that vicinity?

Don't know, but I'd seriously doubt it.... If I'm understanding the question correctly, regulars would either cry foul, or use one route disproportionately over some other route - provided that said routes run to the same general major destination (like a Newark Penn or Newark Broad or something), of course

On 10/1/2019 at 3:44 PM, jass said:

They could make it flatter by making the zones larger.

Of course it makes sense that a bus going from NYC to Lakewood costs more than a bus from Metuchen to Edison.

But maybe a bus that only runs in Newark should only be one zone instead of two or three?

Combining zones 1 and 2 into a $2 flat fare would be an easy start.

Agreed.... But you & I both know that NJT would never do something like that, as they'd stand to lose too much money.... Lot of 2 zone ridership on NJT's buses, probably moreso than people only traveling 1 zone.....

On 9/28/2019 at 3:22 AM, Mtatransit said:

They could then try to simplify the bus system. Some buses can be straightened and some deviation eliminated. More routes should also be added.

In Central Jersey, its seems apparent that NJT only cares about Route 9 and nothing else, unless its a branch of a route from Route 9 

Yeah, local service on the New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, and Red Bank routes all f***in suck..... 

Good luck with simplifying North Jersey's network; too extensive (you have an extensive intra-NJ network & an extensive interstate NY-NJ network you'd have to analyze.... and then there's the private carriers).... Contrary to that, there's not much to simplify for South Jersey; save for the Atlantic city locals, almost everything is Camden or Philly centered.... Central Jersey's network though is the worst (or easiest to fix, depending how you look at it) of the three, by far..... Bunch of routes randomly going all over the place... No rhyme or reason to it all (in terms of a network) if it doesn't have anything to do with route 9 (as you said).....

Getting from either side of I-78 to the other is a pain in the absolute ass.

[Mtatransit]

On 11/7/2019 at 12:43 PM, B35 via Church said:

Good luck with simplifying North Jersey's network; too extensive (you have an extensive intra-NJ network & an extensive interstate NY-NJ network you'd have to analyze.... and then there's the private carriers).... Contrary to that, there's not much to simplify for South Jersey; save for the Atlantic city locals, almost everything is Camden or Philly centered.... Central Jersey's network though is the worst (or easiest to fix, depending how you look at it) of the three, by far..... Bunch of routes randomly going all over the place... No rhyme or reason to it all (in terms of a network) if it doesn't have anything to do with route 9 (as you said).....

Getting from either side of I-78 to the other is a pain in the absolute ass.

Yeah those Central NJ roues were exactly what I was thinking. 

In fact I am still thinking why they decided to end the 817 at Campbell Junction...

[jass]

On 11/7/2019 at 12:43 PM, B35 via Church said:

IAgreed.... But you & I both know that NJT would never do something like that, as they'd stand to lose too much money.... Lot of 2 zone ridership on NJT's buses, probably moreso than people only traveling 1 zone.....

Id argue that the current system results in more lost money.

How many people pay for the right amount of zones? Its impossible to police on local routes where people get on and off all the time.

[jass]

On 10/10/2019 at 10:25 AM, N6 Limited said:

How are the zones determined? Are there routes that travel on the same road but have different zone boundaries in that vicinity?

It looks to me like zones are at fixed locations for all routes. Usually a city boundary or train station.

The issue is that it makes some trips very unfair. IE, the GO28 makes a couple of stops in Bloomfield, and then crosses into Newark - fare boundary. It then travels extensively to the airport under the same zone. Why does 1/2 a mile cost so much more than the next 5 miles?

[B35 via Church]

5 hours ago, jass said:

Id argue that the current system results in more lost money.

How many people pay for the right amount of zones? Its impossible to police on local routes where people get on and off all the time.

As long as you have zone based fares, that's always going to be an issue....

18 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

Yeah those Central NJ roues were exactly what I was thinking. 

In fact I am still thinking why they decided to end the 817 at Campbell Junction...

as to not have it run along w/ the #834 to Red Bank?
(but yet, the #815 gets to waste all that mileage carrying much of nobody north of Perth Amboy towards Woodbridge Mall.... Local residents gravitate towards the #48 or #116 for areas north of Perth Amboy anyway....)

IDK, but yeah, Campbell's Junction is a stub.... Personally, I'd run the #817 to Holmdel Commons and/or Middletown RR instead... I would also have it run straight along rt. 36 to serve North Middletown (Thompson av, etc.) first, before doing that loop in Keansburg (instead of doing the Keansburg loop to get to N. Middletown, en route to Campbell's Junction)....

[jass]

15 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

As long as you have zone based fares, that's always going to be an issue....

The way to solve the issue is tap on, tap off.

If you dont tap off, you get charged the maximum fare for that line.

 

Of course, NJT is still a coin based system, like we're in the 1940s.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

Of course it has to be awful. How can anyone (especially politicians) profit from complaining about a good system?

[553 Bridgeton]

On 10/10/2019 at 10:25 AM, N6 Limited said:

How are the zones determined? Are there routes that travel on the same road but have different zone boundaries in that vicinity?

How are tolls addressed between NJT, PANYNJ and NJTPA?

It’s based on how many people ride in a certain area. Like Howell for example it is split Into 2 zones(14/15), why because it’s primarily Mexicans that ride  between Lakewood and Freehold Center so they make them pay more in a sense from zone 16 to 13. Most of the commuters are off the bus from Aldrich Road P/R. From 13-16 it’s primarily minority who don’t commute, it’s messed up but if you look at the 139 during rush hour they force anyone going to Lakewood to get on the 63/64 at Old Bridge SB, as all the expresses skip freehold center and Old Bridge SB., well not all but some drivers just don’t go. Academy hates picking up people even though they are supposed to. 
 

back to the zones it’s based how how many ride in a certain area. Zone 14 could be 1 mile long while zone 13 could be 8 miles long. Also the 139 zones must coincide with the 319 and 559 because the 319 was the original line that operated from AC to New York or Jersey City and New York locally. If you as passenger get on in Freehold you can purchase a CTT to AC zone 31 or 39 Cape May or anywhere between on the 552 or 559.

Edited December 13, 2019 by 553 Bridgeton