How NJ Transit riders are preparing for possible rail strike
NJ Transit riders are bracing for a rail strike that could start Friday at midnight and throw their daily commutes into chaos.
New Jersey officials urged approximately 100,000 daily riders to work from home, if possible, in the event of a strike by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, but that's not an option for everyone.
NJ Transit commuters weigh alternate plans in case of strike
NJ Transit riders said Thursday their hope is fading fast as the agency and BLET take pay negotiations to avert a strike down to the wire.
"Well it's going to be a mess. It's going to be a disaster," Derek Morton said.
"At the end of the day, they agree. So why can't they agree now? Both sides sit down in a locked room and get a deal done," Larry Gordon, of Closter, said.
NJ Transit announced a commuter contingency plan, but the potential strike would leave hundreds of thousands of commuters scrambling for rides and/or figuring out how to work from home.
"I'm going to have to change my complete mode of transportation or try to work from home. But it's going to impact me significantly," Celeste Daniel said.
"Planning on carpooling. A coworker of mine lives not too far from me. And so we're just going to just drive in together," Rae Feigan said.
"I'm not even planning to come in, so I'm taking the day off," Newark resident Orlando Gonzalez said. "I'm hoping it boils over. By Sunday, they sign their contracts, and back to work Monday."
Commuters who are able to work from home said they would, but plenty of others plan to drive, which just means more traffic. Those who do decide to drive would also have to fork over $9 for New York City's congestion pricing toll.
NJ Transit would increase bus service
NJ Transit said it would increase bus service during a strike. But it won't come close to being able to handle the typical amount of rail passengers.
"It's going to be so overcrowded. You're not going to get a seat," one commuter said.
"There's no way I can take a bus or anything, it's going to take me too long," Princeton resident Anindita Rajesh said.
"I did my research to see how I was going to get here on time," Carol Chambers, a New York City resident who commutes to New Jersey, said.
Chambers said she normally commutes by train from Brooklyn to Secaucus, but would switch to the bus if there's a strike.
"Starting tomorrow, I would have to go to Times Square and take the 129 bus to come to New Jersey," she said.
Diane Fuhrman, of Ramsey, said she'll work from home tomorrow if there's a strike, though all bets are off if it drags on past the weekend.
"Unfortunately, NJ Transit has never been very reliable. So it shouldn't impact too much, in the sense of reliability. But it'll definitely make the commute and getting to work a little trickier," Fuhrman said. "There are buses, luckily. But knowing the amount of people that are going to be impacted by the train then going to the bus, is going to be ... tricky. Or swimming across the Hudson, haha!"
NJ Transit's contingency plan includes cross honoring rail tickets on buses, light rail lines and the MTA for West of Hudson service. It also includes adding four more Park-and-Rides in Secaucus, Hamilton, at the Woodbridge Center Mall and the PNC Arts Center.
Other available options include PATH or Amtrak trains, as well as privately owned by companies, like Yankee, that can be booked through an app called Boxcar. for more details.
