For bus travellers on NJ Transit to or from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, it has been difficult to determine just when that next bus will arrive. However, NJT’s MyBus Now program will be extended in June to the Port Authority routes, completing a rollout that first began in South Jersey, and later added non-Port Authority routes in North Jersey, according to reporting by Mike Frassinelli in the Star-Ledger (Jan. 25). To use the service, access njtransit.com on smart phones or desktop computers, and access MyBus Now under “Rider Tools”. Riders with ordinary cell phones can text MyBus at 69287 with the stop and route number. The arrival estimates are only for buses expected in the next half hour, due to the uncertainties of buses in traffic; and the system won’t work for outbound buses in the evening rush from the Port Authority, again because jams can make arrivals unpredictable.
NJT Bucks Trend; Orders High-Floor Buses
New Jersey Transit has ordered 158 high-floor buses, in contrast to other transit providers, which have switched to low-floor buses. The low-floor models do not require riders to climb four steps when bording. Low-floor buses have won praise within the transit industry, because it is easy for riders in wheelchairs, or with other disabilities, to board them.
The approval of the purchase by the NJT Board came at their June meeting, only one month after the agency’s first purchase of low-floor buses for use in Morris County and the Atlantic City area. Coalition Chair David Peter Alan and Technical Director Joseph M. Clift urged the NJT Board to delay the purchase of more high-floor buses until transit management could evaluate their success in Morris County. Management and Board members defended and approved the purchase.
Morris & Essex Line rail riders can transfer between trains and local buses at all Morris County stations from Chatham to Dover.
Low-Floor Buses Are Coming to Morris County
Morris County bus riders may soon have to climb only one step to board a local bus, rather than four. NJT has ordered low-floor-boarding buses, which will soon appear in Morris County and the Atlantic City area. People with disabilities can board these buses more easily than conventional buses. The buses are popular in many cities, including New York. When the current order of buses is delivered, it will mark the first time that they will run in New Jersey.