Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Month: August 2012

  • Amtrak Sets Records on NEC

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    John Bobsin

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    A decade or so ago, airlines were the dominant players in the Northeast Corridor transportation market.  However, today air travel suffers from high fares, frequent delays, and time-consuming airport security checks; meanwhile, Amtrak offers its Acela premium service, on-line ticketing, and, importantly, workstation access; the result has been to tip the market share in favor…

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  • Computer Strands JFK AirTrain Riders

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    John Bobsin

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    A computer problem left about 140 passengers stranded on the popular AirTrain serving Kennedy International Airport on Saturday evening, August 25, according to reporting by John Leland in The New York Times (Aug. 27).  Three 2-car trains were stranded, and some passengers were forced to walk almost a mile to the nearest station.  The disruption…

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  • NJT Changes Weekend Bike Rules Again

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    Donald Winship

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    New Jersey Transit has changed the rules for bicycles on weekend trains again.  The ban on bikes applies only between Secaucus and Penn Station, New York, so riders can take a bike on the train between points within New Jersey.  Riders cannot take bicycles to Penn Station on trains that leave Dover after 7:05 a.m. and before 11:05…

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  • Aging Infrastructure Blamed for NJT Delays

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    John Bobsin

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    Aging infrastructure, and the lack of cash to fix it, particularly on the Northeast Corridor, are cited as a main cause of service delays on NJ Transit, according to reporting by Karen Rouse and Dave Sheingold of The Record (reported in the Star-Ledger,  August 8).  An NEC commuter is quoted as saying that conductors frequently…

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  • NJT Relaxes Some Weekend Bicycle Restrictions, but It’s Little Help on Our Lines

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    Donald Winship

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    New Jersey Transit announced on Monday, August 6th, that it would relax some of the weekend restrictions against the use of bicycles on trains, beginning on Saturday, August 11th.  The restrictions that went into effect in July prohibited bicycles on all inbound trains that would arrive at their terminals in Newark, Hoboken, or New York…

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  • Funding Increase Coming for Northeast Corridor; Benefits Our Trains, Too

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    Donald Winship

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    The New Jersey Legislature has authorized funding for Northeast Corridor (NEC) improvements of $35.7 million for fiscal year 2013—an 81% increase over the $19.7 million originally proposed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.  The NEC line is important for rail riders in our area, because Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, and Gladstone trains use…

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  • NJT Cuts Bus Service; Coalition Objects

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    Donald Winship

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    New Jersey Transit eliminated 4 bus lines running in Newark and Bloomfield, while cutting service on other lines in the area.  The cuts will take effect on September 1st.  The agency decided to save one of the routes slated for elimination; the #78, which provides service between Penn Station and Broad Street Station in Newark and Secaucus, primarily during peak commuting…

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  • NJT Announces New Bicycle Policy

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    Donald Winship

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    Cyclists Win Some and Lose Some; Public Not Consulted New Jersey Transit implemented new policies regarding bringing bicycles onto trains on July 1st.  The victory for bike riders was that bikes can now be brought onto trains at all stations, not only stations with high-level platforms. The loss for bike riders is that cyclists from…

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