Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Author: John Bobsin

  • Amtrak Reaches for Highest Speed

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    All the talk is of high-speed trains, but NJ Transit commuters wonder whether they will ever benefit, as commuter trains with their many stops, long loading times, and terminal congestion delays seem to be bogged down in a 19th-Century era, often managing less than 30 miles per hour average end-to-end.  Still, it’s possible to run…

    Read more

  • NJ Transit Cops Win Discrimination Suit

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    NJ Transit has agreed to pay $5.8 million to 10 minority police officers as compensation for a string of racial insults and slurs delivered by former NJT Police chief Joseph Bober, who left NJT in 2009 after a previous discrimination lawsuit by a female lieutenant, who alleged sexual discrimination and was awarded $1.5 million in…

    Read more

  • Talking Crossing Gates to be Tested

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    After 3 teenagers were killed by trains in 2 incidents on successive days in October 2011, NJ Transportation Commissioner Jim Simpson convened a task force of experts to find ways to improve grade-crossing safety. (Two of the youths died not at a grade crossing, but while trespassing on a railroad trestle, on a line that…

    Read more

  • Study Highlights Transit-Oriented Development

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    Once upon a time, trolley lines built amusement parks at the end of their lines to encourage ridership.  The modern-day equivalent may be the “Transit Village”: development at transit hubs, where transit users can live, work, or shop just steps from their train or bus.  A report due out on September 24 by New Jersey…

    Read more

  • NYC Transit Fare Increases Loom

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    Increases in the New York City transit fare structure are likely by March 1, and the base fare may not be the only thing to rise.  According to reporting by Matt Flegenheimer in The New York Times (Sept. 13), parent organization Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering reducing or eliminating the 7% bonus granted to riders…

    Read more

  • Amtrak Sets Records on NEC

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    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…

    Read more

  • Computer Strands JFK AirTrain Riders

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    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…

    Read more

  • Aging Infrastructure Blamed for NJT Delays

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    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…

    Read more

  • Livingston Plans New Feeder Service to M&E

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    The town of Livingston, which has no direct rail service, plans to institute a “jitney” feeder service from the Livingston Mall to the South Orange station of NJ Transit”s Morris and Essex Lines; the new service is expected to start in September.  There will be 2 services each hour during weekday peak periods: 6–10 a.m.…

    Read more

  • Metro-North Plans Off-Peak Service Increase

    –

    John Bobsin

    –

    New York’s Metro-North Railroad, which provides commuter services to northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut, plans a substantial increase in rail service in response to increasing customer demand.  The railroad plans to add 230 trains per week, the largest increase in service since the company took over the commuter services in 1982, according to…

    Read more

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Tags

Amtrak ARC bicycles budget bus buses Chris Christie conference congestion pricing Delays electrification equipment fares From the Chair From the Railgram Gladstone Hoboken Jim Simpson Jim Weinstein Midtown Direct Montclair-Boonton Morris & Essex MTA Newark NJT board NJ Transit NJ Transit Board Northeast Corridor North Jersey Coast Line NY Penn Station off-peak Pascack Valley Line PATH Penn Station First Plan Raritan Valley RUN Safety SCDRTAC Secaucus Junction Super Bowl Superstorm Sandy transparency Transportation Trust Fund tunnels weather