NJ Transit strike: Commuter options to know as negotiations continue

NEW JERSEY (WPVI) -- New Jersey Transit train engineers have gone on strike in a dispute over wages, leaving an estimated 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City to seek other means to reach their destinations or consider staying home.

The walkout, effective Friday, comes after the latest round of negotiations on Thursday didn't produce an agreement.

It's the state's first transit strike in more than 40 years.

It halts all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used routes between New York City's Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other, as well as the Newark airport.

RELATED: 'Trains do not run without engineers': Looming NJ Transit strike could impact 350K commuters

Strike contingency plans

The agency had announced contingency plans in recent days, saying it planned to increase bus service, but warned riders that the buses would only add "very limited" capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and would not start running until Monday. The agency also will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

However, the agency noted that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers - only about 20% of current rail customers - so it urged people who could work from home to do so if there was a strike.

Commuter options during the strike

NJ Transit has said the chartered buses will run from four satellite lots across the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan or to PATH train stations in North Jersey, starting Monday.

As many as 1,000 passengers are on a full train each day, and roughly 70,000 commuters take the trains each day. NJ Transit says each chartered bus can carry only about 100 passengers.

Officials expect some train customers will switch to existing NJ Transit bus routes or use the chartered carriers. Others may choose to drive into New York City, where they would have to pay congestion pricing fees.

Alternate service by rail line

Atlantic City Rail Line:

-Absecon
NJT Bus PABT: 319 at Ocean City and Atlantic City
NJT Bus: 508, 554, 559

-Atco
NJT Bus: 400, 459, 463, 551 & 555 at Avendale P/R, 554

-Atlantic City
NJT Bus PABT: 319 at Atlantic City Bus Terminal (2 blocks east of Rail Terminal)
NJT Bus: 501, 502, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 551, 552, 553, 554, 559

-Cherry Hill
NJT Bus: 406 & 450 at Cherry Hill and 317 at NJ Rt-38
NJT Light Rail: River LINE at Pennsauken Transit Center or 36th Street Station in Pennsauken

-Egg Harbor City
NJT Bus: 554

-Hammonton
NJT Bus: 400, 459, 463, 551 & 555 at Avendale P/R, 554

-Lindenwold
NJT Bus: 400, 403, 459, 463, 551 & 555 at Avendale P/R, 554
NJT Light Rail: River LINE at 36th Street Station in Pennsauken or Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden
Trains: PATCO

-Pennsauken Transit Center
NJT Bus: 404, 417, 419
NJT Light Rail: River LINE

-Philadelphia 30th Street Station
NJT Bus: 313, 315, 316 (Seasonal/Summer Only), 414, 417, 555
NJT Light Rail: River LINE at Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden or Pennsauken Transit Center
Trains: SEPTA, AMTRAK

Northeast Corridor Rail Line

-Hamilton
NJT Bus PABT: Coach USA (Suburban Transit) at Palmer Square in Princeton
NJT Bus: 606, 608

-Princeton Junction
PABT: Coach USA (Suburban Transit) at Palmer Square in Princeton
NJT Bus: 600, 612
Closest Stations on Other NJT Rail Lines: Bridgewater (17 miles away)
Trains: AMTRAK

-Trenton Transit Center
NJT Bus PHILA: 409 at Trenton/Camden/Philadelphia
NJT Bus: 418, 600, 601, 606, 608, 609, 611, 619, 624
NJT Light Rail: River LINE
Trains: SEPTA, AMTRAK

For more alternate services by rail line, visit njtransit. com.

Getting to Newark Airport

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the following guidance before the strike started:

Existing mass transit to/from Newark Liberty International Airport:

• NJ TRANSIT trains will not serve the Newark Liberty International Airport rail station.

• Select Amtrak trains will continue to serve the station. Passengers will need an Amtrak ticket to board an Amtrak train. AirTrain Newark will continue operating to/from the Airport Train Station for Amtrak passengers.

• Travelers are urged to make use of bus lines serving Newark Liberty International Airport. Those include NJ TRANSIT buses GO 28 (Bloomfield-Newark), 37 (Maplewood-Irvington-Newark), 62 (Newark-Elizabeth), 67 (Ocean-Monmouth-Middlesex-Newark), and Coach USA express service to/from Manhattan.

• Drivers should allow additional travel time and expect crowded conditions on airport roadways.

New travel option provided by the Port Authority between Newark-Penn Station and Newark Liberty International Airport:

• UPDATE: Beginning May 16, the Port Authority will operate free, direct shuttle bus service between Newark-Penn Station and AirTrain Newark's P4 station every 20 minutes. The free shuttle buses will not operate between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., traditionally when NJ TRANSIT does not operate rail service. Travelers should allow additional travel time and expect crowded conditions on buses and at stations

• Additional Port Authority staff will be available to assist with passenger navigation and crowd management at Newark-Penn Station and the airport.

Getting to Newark Airport from Newark-Penn Station:

• UPDATE: At Newark-Penn Station, passengers should follow signs and staff direction to the pickup/drop-off point at Raymond Plaza West. The shuttle bus will travel directly to AirTrain Newark's P4 station. There, travelers can board AirTrain Newark to access all airport terminals.

Getting from Newark Airport to Newark-Penn Station:

• Take AirTrain Newark to the P4 Station. There, travelers should proceed to the ground level and follow the direction of Port Authority staff to the shuttle bus pickup/drop-off point. The shuttle bus will travel directly to Newark-Penn Station.