Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Month: January 2014

  • 1000 Stranded by Downed Wire

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    John Bobsin

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    On the coldest night of the year, 1000 riders on a packed rush-hour NJ Transit train from New York to New Brunswick got no farther than a little beyond Newark on Tuesday evening, January 7, after an overhead wire fell on the train.  Heat and main lighting immediately failed, and the train sat from 6:15 p.m.…

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  • Reverse Kearny – A Step In The Right Direction Or A Waste of Money?

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    Donald Winship

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    Among the so-called Sandy Mitigation/Recovery proposals is a project known as Reverse Kearny, known by New Jersey Transit as the “Westbound Waterfront Connection.” Between Newark and Secaucus Transfer, there is the point where eastbound trains on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) can either continue to Penn Station, New York or divert to Hoboken Terminal via the…

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  • Rider vs. Ticket Vending Machine

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    Donald Winship

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    Living in suburban New Jersey without a car has never been easy. So when I received an invitation to a party halfway across the state—from Parsippany to Jackson Township—I knew I had my work cut out for me. What I didn’t expect was that the humble Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) would cause me trouble. First…

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  • Report from the Chair, Mar./Apr. 2014

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    Donald Winship

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    Everybody knows that New York’s Penn Station (NYP) is crowded with commuters during peak-commuting hours, and we have a way to reduce demand for those scarce seats that will not require any capital investment.  We call on New Jersey Transit to restore reduced “off-peak” rail fares, and to implement fare policies that will make it…

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  • NJT’s Board and Executive Director Honor Jim Raleigh

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    Donald Winship

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    At its meeting on Nov. 13, the New Jersey Transit Board of Directors paid tribute to the late James T. Raleigh (1934-2013), who had served as the Lackawanna Coalition’s Legislative Director for seven years prior to his death. Commissioner and Board Chair James S. Simpson and NJT Executive Director James W. Weinstein praised Raleigh for…

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  • NJT Offers a Ticket Good Everywhere, But Only for Super Bowl Week

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    David Peter Alan

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    New Jersey Transit is offering a special ticket, good on NJT bus, rail, light rail and Access-Link paratransit. It is called the Super-Pass and offers unlimited transportation for eight days from Monday, Jan. 27 through Monday, Feb. 3. It costs $50 and can be purchased only on NJT’s website, www.njtransit.com, through Jan. 14. This one-time…

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  • Report from the Chair: Jan./Feb. 2014

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    David Peter Alan

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    Everybody knows that New York’s Penn Station (NYP) is crowded with commuters during peak-commuting hours, and we have a way to reduce demand for those scarce seats that will not require any capital investment. We call on New Jersey Transit to restore reduced “off-peak” rail fares, and to implement fare policies that will make it…

    Read more

  • Drive, Don’t Ride: Congress

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    John Bobsin

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    Once again, it appears that Congress has no trouble subsidizing people who drive to work, but transit users?  That’s another matter. The disparity is sharply in focus these days, as the program that allows transit riders a tax benefit was slashed at the turn of the year, while benefits for drivers increased.  The disparity amounts…

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  • Hoboken Terminal Coming Back, One Piece at a Time

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    David Peter Alan

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    Hoboken Terminal is slowly coming back, following mold contamination due to severe flooding damage from Hurricane Sandy more than one year ago.  The waiting room, with its historic benches, reopened on November 18th.  Now, the ticket office and some of the eateries in the station have reopened, as well.  Some of the stores are still…

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  • NY Restrooms Closed for Renovation

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    John Bobsin

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    Nearly 6 months after NJ Transit’s 7th Avenue Concourse restrooms at New York Penn Station embarrassed the railroad when their decrepit conditions were publicly disclosed, a 2-week renovation began on January 2 as the facilities were closed for the work.  Temporary repairs had been made after NJ Association of Railroad Passengers President Albert Papp Jr.…

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