Take and Take and Take

Well, they did it. Not sure who they (The Board) are but they approved a 25% fare hike. That should just fix everything, right?!?! I'm guessing the NJT board just gave themselves a 25% raise! Sure why not, I got a 1.5% raise over the last two years so a 25% fare hike evens things out.

Did I miss the communication that outlined where this deficit came from, who was responsible for it, how it will be corrected so as to not occur again?

How does a deficit this size just occur? It must have been growing and growing? Why at this point does it seem apropriate to raise fares the way they did? The 300 million deficit has probably been around for who knows how long and they now they needed an excuse to raise rates and fatten their pockets.

I wonder how the head of NJ Transit James Weinstein gets to work each day...Does he take the train or the bus? Is he incurring a 25% fare hike?

If and when this deficit is cut is NJ Transit going to recind the 25% increase? Of course not. of course the deficit will never be erased becuase no one in charge knows what they are doing. How else did NJT end up with a 300 million dollar deficit in the first place? It's the blind leading the blind and nothing ever gets better. More money more money, things just get more expensive, services get worse, we work more and more, its an exhausting rat race!

Talkin Talkin Talkin

She goes on to describe her heritage by who married who and what this one’s last name was versus what someone else’s last name is and what that makes her. But in all honesty, the loud and long phone conversation she had on the train makes her plain rude and obnoxious. I don’t know exactly when it became socially acceptable for people to hold full phone conversations amongst a group of strangers. While society has gone the way of acceptance I don’t truly believe that it is. Keep your phone calls quiet and to a minimum. You’re on a train, not in your office or in your home. Have some respect for your own privacy as well as some respect for the fact that there are others around you who don’t want or need to hear your conversation.

"Potential" Fare Hikes in 2010

I love it when as a customer I find out about potential fare hikes and service cuts through the local news and not directly through NJ Transit. Putting that aside, NJ Transit claims less funding and decreased ridership are predominately the reason for what they refer to as potential yet we all know they are inevitable fare hikes. Ridership must really been down on other lines because my line is full to capacity to the point that I am and have been preaching more trains, not longer trains. I'm not claustrophobic by any means but I do get worried how packed my train can be and wonder how quickly we can all get off in the case of an emergency.

2 Hour commutes on multiple occassions lately

One track into NY again! Signal problems again! Amtrak overhead wire issues again! Blame it on what you want. It still affects your service and overall image. Eldridge Cleaver said it perfectly, “You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem”. If you haven’t figured out how to fix, avoid, and work around these problems by now, then it is a clear indication that you are not part of the solution.

Facebook

Do a Facebook group or person search using NJ Transit as the keyword phrase and see the amount of members who are as frustrated with NJ Transit as I am!

Autumn Foliage

For most of us the smell of chimneys, shorter days, apple cider, and the falling of beautifully colored leaves means fall. For us riders of NJ Transit's Montclair-Booton line, it also means trains slipping on the tracks at Glen Ridge due to oily resins from the leaves on the tracks. Don't hate me GR riders, but maybe the train should skip your stop so that it can build up speed at Bloomfield and coast into Bay St.

Why did NJ Transit put the train in the middle of the woods to begin with? How great would it be if it was adjacent to Bloomfield Ave. Almost like an outdoor subway...

I'll put my hand up for a high five but then take it down

Okay, so yes NJ Transit creating a train that goes to Giants Stadium/Izod center is a great thing. The fact that it doesn't come or go directly to/from NY Penn Station, not a good thing. The service runs frequently when there are concerts and games which is a good thing. Typical train schedule leaving NY Penn Station and ticketing service are beyond a bad thing. The lines for every machine and window wrap around every corner. How about letting riders for this new service purchase tickets online or have additional staff and areas open to sell tickets. Set up makeshift kiosks. Do something.

Please please please explain to me why on a night when there is a concert or a day when there's a sporting event, not every train leaving NY Penn Station and running through Secaucus is NOT stopping in Secaucus? Instead, you have the same trains that typically stop at Secaucus filled to an unsafe capacity of people trying to get to these events. There's no reason why any train leaving NY that travels through the Secaucus station is not stopping there. It's ridiculous.

It's like NJ Transit thinks half way. They have a good idea and then their execution is poor. Follow through and think big picture.