Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

  • Coalition Says Information Flow Lacking

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    John Bobsin

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    Although most rail transit services in the Northeast have been restored after Superstorm Sandy, in New Jersey most NJT commuter rail services remain severely curtailed or totally suspended.  As the outage nears its third week, many users of the service find little information available as to when it might resume, or even what is being…

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  • NJT Debates Electric-Car Options

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    John Bobsin

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    NJ Transit has invested heavily in new passenger equipment in recent years; customers note the “multilevel” (double-deck) equipment in service on most lines, but the railroad has also purchased new diesel and electric locomotives, and most recently a fleet of “dual-mode” locomotives has begun arriving—these units can operate both as ordinary diesels or as electric…

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  • Area Transit Shuts Down for Storm

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    John Bobsin

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    As tropical storm Sandy neared the area, all transit systems in the region shut down on Sunday, October 28.  By Monday morning all trains and buses in the region were at a standstill, and states of emergency were in effect.  NJ Transit announced that major stations such as Newark Penn Station, Secaucus Junction,  and Trenton…

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  • MTA Mulls Westchester/Bronx/Penn Station Service

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    John Bobsin

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    According to reporting on WNYC (Oct. 9), New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering a completely new line of rail service, using the Hell Gate Bridge to allow trains to run from Connecticut and Westchester through the Bronx and into Queens, Manhattan, and possibly Brooklyn.  MTA reportedly has asked residents of the East Bronx how…

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  • Port Authority Documents Not Easily Accessible

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    John Bobsin

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    It’s always been problematic for those interested in how public agencies work to get access to internal documents.  Laws such as the federal Freedom of Information Act and New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act are one way by which the public can find out what’s actually going on in often-opaque public agencies and authorities.  The…

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  • NJT NonUnion Workers to Lose Free Ride Privileges

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    John Bobsin

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    The time-honored perk of giving all railroad employees will end January 1 for NJ Transit nonunion employees,  following action at NJT’s Oct. 15 board meeting.  Union employees have the free rides written into their contracts, so won’t be affected, at least for the time being—although union contracts are currently under negotiation.  The change would be largely…

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  • Metro-North Boosts Off-Peak, Weekend Schedules

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    John Bobsin

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    On NJ Transit, schedules have been largely unchanged for years, with minor changes from time to time, and elimination of many off-peak trains to Hoboken the major event.  However, on many off-peak trains, particularly on weekends, traffic continues to build, often threatening to reach train capacity.  On New York’s Metro-North Railroad, off-peak traffic is also…

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  • Schumer: Time Short for New Hudson Tunnels

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    John Bobsin

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    According to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), if plans for new trans-Hudson rail tunnels are not made final soon, the tunnels may become much more difficult to construct.  According to reporting by Illya Marritz on WNYC (transportationnation.org), Schumer said that the problem lies in a new multiuse real-estate development, Hudson Yards, being planned for the west…

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  • PATH Fares Rise 13% Monday, October 1

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    John Bobsin

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    The PATH rapid-transit system will impose a fare increase of about 13%, effective Monday, Oct. 1 (at 3 a.m.).  Single and 2-trip fares will rise from $2.00 to $2.25 per ride; multiple-ride tickets will increase from $1.50 to $1.70 a trip.  Passes will also increase: 7-day unlimited passes will go from $21 to $24, and…

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  • Amtrak Reaches for Highest Speed

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    John Bobsin

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    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…

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