NJ Transit approves 25 percent fare hikes on trains, intercity buses

Fares for light rail and other buses go up on 10 percent, according to the Star Ledger.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/04/nj_transit_approves_higher_tra.html

Who's running that outfit nowadays? Robert Moses? Good grief, going to the city is going to hurt even more. I wish the idea of companies, private or state-run, completely opening their books to the public was more than just a day dream.

 

But you don't have to pump your own gas, so I'm not complaining /

 

If cheaper gas prices meant I'd have to get out of the car, I'm sold. I went to school in Philly, so the concept isn't foreign to me. Still, I'd much rather take the train into the city and forget having to worry about traffic, tolls and parking. Driving into NYC on a regular basis just isn't worth the stress.

 

Not to mention $8 tolls and $35+ to park.

So instead of me paying $6.80 RT for bus to/from the city it will now cost me $8.50. Still very reasonable compared to gas, tolls, parking and traffic hassle.

 

Want dysfunctional, try the MTA. They've eliminated all sorts of multi-trip discounts. And say what you will about Robert Moses, but he got stuff done. You think the Freedom Tower would still be a hole in the ground if he were around? Granted it would probably go to a Friend of Moses, but it would get built.

Agree with Spnited. Still a better alternative than Driving.

 

And $2.50 for a subway ride is still the best bargain in the city.

 

Second only to the $10 blow jobs on 75th St.

 

I ride a bus out of the city and back every day. I don't mind the price. I mind one driver, who's never on time at night as I'm trying to get back over the GW and home. This bastard is routinely 20 minutes late. And he drives every goddamn shift. So if I was waiting for the 6:13, it was him. 8 p.m., him. 9:35 p.m., him. We've had several people actually write letters to NJ transit, complaining about this one guy. And nothing gets done. We know it's him and not traffic or other problems because when he doesn't drive, those particular buses are always on time.

Lately he's been topping himself. He got shifted to a 5:45 bus, instead of that 6:13. So it worked out great for those done at 6, because he'd be 15 or 20 minutes late and he basically created a 6 p.m. bus because of his chronic tardiness. But twice within the last week, the new 6:13 bus has arrived on time...and right behind, coming down the hill, is this obese jerk. HE'S BEEN LAPPED BY ANOTHER BUS. Aaaaagh. So he'll drive right by while the 6:13 stops, and it's inevitably packed while Jabba (our crude, but fitting nickname) cruises by with a bus that looks 90 percent empty. It's infuriating, especially because I'm about 15 minutes from home when I get a ride but it takes an hour each day to get home.

I'll pay more. I just want this man fired.

 

There's a driver of one of the buses along St. Nicholas who's the same way. Even when it was like 20 degrees in the winter, I'd walk the 12 blocks to my apartment instead of waiting for him and I'd usually beat him to the stop in front of my apartment.

 

For me, it is a pre-tax increase of $600 per year, so I'm more than a little pissed. The train line to my town originates in Newark and we've recently gone from 4 trains between 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 2 trains, which means that if I have not left my office in NYC by 6:40 (which is not always possible even with working at home many nights) I don't get to see my kids before they go to sleep. My service is usually pretty good, although NY Penn Station is so badly designed with its narrow walkways that you feel like a sardine.