NJ Transit Board approves $3.5 million contract for new bus line to the Meadowlands

[FlxMtroD]

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2021/08/25/nj-transit-board-approves-contract-metlife-stadium-shuttle-meadowlands/8198050002/

[B35 via Church]

Unless I'm missing something, where is the logic in spending 3+ million dollars for a new bus route that would serve MetLife & American Dream from NJT Secaucus RR, when the #356 already exists (albeit temporary suspended right now) that operate{d} between Secaucus RR & American Dream?

[checkmatechamp13]

17 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Unless I'm missing something, where is the logic in spending 3+ million dollars for a new bus route that would serve MetLife & American Dream from NJT Secaucus RR, when the #356 already exists (albeit temporary suspended right now) that operate{d} between Secaucus RR & American Dream?

I think this is for a study figuring out how to give the 356 its own right of way between those points. (**shrugs**)

[B35 via Church]

55 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I think this is for a study figuring out how to give the 356 its own right of way between those points. (**shrugs**)

Check out the very 1st paragraph/sentence...

"The NJ Transit Board awarded a contract for more than $3.5 million to HNTB Corp. to design a new bus line that could shuttle masses to MetLife stadium and the American Dream Mall in the Meadowlands from Secaucus station."

Now if the board doesn't know about the #356, then there isn't much more to say

[dkm07302]

On 8/29/2021 at 3:26 PM, B35 via Church said:

Check out the very 1st paragraph/sentence...

"The NJ Transit Board awarded a contract for more than $3.5 million to HNTB Corp. to design a new bus line that could shuttle masses to MetLife stadium and the American Dream Mall in the Meadowlands from Secaucus station."

Now if the board doesn't know about the #356, then there isn't much more to say

Sometimes NJ Transit makes things more than what they seem. I mean, the #356 is sitting right there. I figure the study is to see how many people would use the service between both sides. Here's an answer:  a lot.

[Gotham Bus Co.]

On 8/31/2021 at 8:40 AM, dkm07302 said:

Sometimes NJ Transit makes things more than what they seem. I mean, the #356 is sitting right there. I figure the study is to see how many people would use the service between both sides. Here's an answer:  a lot.

Except that "a lot" isn't a number, and they probably need actual numbers. 

[553 Bridgeton]

They don’t even run the 356 anymore “unofficially”. 355 only runs weekends, maybe 10ppl per trip if that. Who wants to pay $9 when you can just take the 160. 
 

The people in planning and scheduling are utterly clueless and have no sense. 

[JAzumah]

3 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

They don’t even run the 356 anymore “unofficially”. 355 only runs weekends, maybe 10ppl per trip if that. Who wants to pay $9 when you can just take the 160. 
 

The people in planning and scheduling are utterly clueless and have no sense. 

I disagree. It is the right idea, but the economy is still unstable. Discretionary travel has taken a dive due to Omicron. A better judgment can be made in the spring.

[553 Bridgeton]

1 hour ago, JAzumah said:

I disagree. It is the right idea, but the economy is still unstable. Discretionary travel has taken a dive due to Omicron. A better judgment can be made in the spring.

Seeing how bad Penn plaza is at planning this is a terrible idea. The way NJT envisions routes no longer is “the way to go”. A new line to the meadowlands will accomplish what? They need to focus on re-working everything from the ground up. These buses DO NOT go where people need to them to anymore. The lines are redundant. Not everyone wants to go to New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and New York to transfer to a outbound bus. This is literally a waste of money.

 

When the Mickey Mouse games was being played over at MetLife during the construction of American Dream they wasted and threw away money at a time when things was booming, now you want to throw money at a place that’s a dying thing aka “malls” pandemic or not with a new line. Besides the mini park and the handful of stores at American Dream explain how much more use will a new line have when it will face the same issue the 355/356 faces. I have yet to see NJT fully come through with any plan they said they want to finish especially on the bus side. The bus side is a joke and ran by people who have no clue and would rather keep a bus in a area for 5 people rather then put that bus where 20 people work. 
 

Meanwhile the 67 needs a full restructuring. Put money where things are growing in this day when New York is no longer “it”

Edited January 12, 2022 by 553 Bridgeton

[JAzumah]

3 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

These buses DO NOT go where people need to them to anymore. The lines are redundant. Not everyone wants to go to New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and New York to transfer to a outbound bus. This is literally a waste of money.

I can definitely buy this. It is the way we are in the intercity bus industry as well and there is a significant opportunity to shorten travel times with more regional clusters that provide more of a grid.

However, the 355 and 356 are products subsidized by American Dream Mall. In addition, they will do fine when demand returns. 

[Lawrence St]

4 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

Seeing how bad Penn plaza is at planning this is a terrible idea. The way NJT envisions routes no longer is “the way to go”. A new line to the meadowlands will accomplish what? They need to focus on re-working everything from the ground up. These buses DO NOT go where people need to them to anymore. The lines are redundant. Not everyone wants to go to New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and New York to transfer to a outbound bus. This is literally a waste of money.

 

When the Mickey Mouse games was being played over at MetLife during the construction of American Dream they wasted and threw away money at a time when things was booming, now you want to throw money at a place that’s a dying thing aka “malls” pandemic or not with a new line. Besides the mini park and the handful of stores at American Dream explain how much more use will a new line have when it will face the same issue the 355/356 faces. I have yet to see NJT fully come through with any plan they said they want to finish especially on the bus side. The bus side is a joke and ran by people who have no clue and would rather keep a bus in a area for 5 people rather then put that bus where 20 people work. 
 

Meanwhile the 67 needs a full restructuring. Put money where things are growing in this day when New York is no longer “it”

Actually I've seen the 355 carry a lot of people of weekends. I don't know what happened with the 356, but they say it's "suspended" but some drivers are telling me it's running unofficially. 

[R10 2952]

5 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

Not everyone wants to go to New York, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and New York to transfer to a outbound bus. This is literally a waste of money.

Exactly; I been saying for years now that on the bus side, PABT is overused while GWBT and Lower Manhattan destinations are underutilized by the decisionmakers at 1 Penn Plaza East.  To say nothing about how much of a Herculean task traveling within Jersey can be, on public transit anyway..

On the rail side there's also a handful of unexercised options, and missed opportunities outright.  I'd say NJT execs are even more out-of-touch with their ridership than the MTA bigwigs are.  That and many of the local Jersey politicians are no help in that regard, either.  There's been days in Trenton that frankly, have made Albany look competent by comparison.

Edited January 13, 2022 by R10 2952

[553 Bridgeton]

55 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Actually I've seen the 355 carry a lot of people of weekends. I don't know what happened with the 356, but they say it's "suspended" but some drivers are telling me it's running unofficially. 

It’s not even running unofficially. It’s blacked out on the flats at meadowlands and Ironbound. It’s suspended.

[Lawrence St]

1 minute ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

It’s not even running unofficially. It’s blacked out on the flats at meadowlands and Ironbound. It’s suspended.

yeah I realized, it doesn't even show up in the clever anymore.

[BreeddekalbL]

14 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

They don’t even run the 356 anymore “unofficially”. 355 only runs weekends, maybe 10ppl per trip if that. Who wants to pay $9 when you can just take the 160. 
 

The people in planning and scheduling are utterly clueless and have no sense. 

It's cheaper to take the 85 from Hoboken also 

[46Dover]

On 1/12/2022 at 1:03 PM, 553 Bridgeton said:

They don’t even run the 356 anymore “unofficially”. 355 only runs weekends, maybe 10ppl per trip if that. Who wants to pay $9 when you can just take the 160. 
 

The people in planning and scheduling are utterly clueless and have no sense. 

Or the 161.  I’d get a lot of people getting off at “Road A”

[Lawrence St]

2 hours ago, 46Dover said:

Or the 161.  I’d get a lot of people getting off at “Road A”

Lmao I was on the 161 behind a 772 and people kept waving the 772 bus down because they though it went to the Port, but will wave the 161 down because they think it's going to the mall.

[553 Bridgeton]

3 hours ago, 46Dover said:

Or the 161.  I’d get a lot of people getting off at “Road A”

Exactly. That’s how you know these lines need a full rework. A lot of these people are walking or riding bikes great distances just to get the bus, and njt just sits around like that is normal now and it’s not. 

[B35 via Church]

On 1/13/2022 at 3:33 AM, BreeddekalbL said:

It's cheaper to take the 85 from Hoboken also 

The #85 has seen a ridership explosion in Union City because of the extension to American Dream.

On 1/12/2022 at 10:44 PM, Lawrence St said:

Actually I've seen the 355 carry a lot of people of weekends....

Yeah, I've seen the lines for it at PABT; usage has picked up over the past couple weekends' ... But unlike the #111 to/from Jersey Gardens, the usage on the #355 is still hit or miss....

On 1/13/2022 at 3:39 PM, 46Dover said:

Or the 161.  I’d get a lot of people getting off at “Road A”

Whether it's a modified #161 or #772, I think something should serve both American Dream & Teterboro Landing....

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

On 1/12/2022 at 1:03 PM, 553 Bridgeton said:

They don’t even run the 356 anymore “unofficially”. 355 only runs weekends, maybe 10ppl per trip if that. Who wants to pay $9 when you can just take the 160. 
 

The people in planning and scheduling are utterly clueless and have no sense. 

Yep, the walk from MetLife to American Dream is a PITA if it's your first time there and don't know exactly how to get there, but once you so, it's much better than taking the 355. The direct trip there is not worth double the fare to MetLife on the 160 ($4.50).

Edited January 15, 2022 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[BreeddekalbL]

On 1/14/2022 at 7:00 PM, B35 via Church said:

The #85 has seen a ridership explosion in Union City because of the extension to American Dream.

True.. they better put more buses on the route 

[B35 via Church]

18 hours ago, BreeddekalbL said:

True.. they better put more buses on the route 

At service basically every 30 mins., they won't.... Lol.

But as @go25 alluded to in the New Bus Newark Initiative thread, the NJT#62 gets to run like wildfire for a good chunk of the day...

[BreeddekalbL]

22 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

At service basically every 30 mins., they won't.... Lol.

But as @go25 alluded to in the New Bus Newark Initiative thread, the NJT#62 gets to run like wildfire for a good chunk of the day...

And service to the dream starts after I think 9am? On the 85

[N6 Limited]

American Dream depends on NYC Tourism, so once that rebounds then the 355 ridership should pick up.

[Lawrence St]

On 1/27/2022 at 10:53 AM, N6 Limited said:

American Dream depends on NYC Tourism, so once that rebounds then the 355 ridership should pick up.

It's already picked up. Lots of people taking the 355, but are also taking the 161 to Road A and walking to the mall.