NYC Commuter Options While Montclair-Boonton Line is Out
[Updated on 11/13/2012, to clarify hours of ferry service, cost of parking at Allwood Park & Ride, and add positive rider feedback on interim train service]
To all Glen Ridge – New York City Commuters:
The Montclair-Boonton Line remains out of service for at least the next week. In the meantime, Glen Ridge residents have at least 6 alternatives for commuting into Manhattan:
- DeCamp Bus Lines to Port Authority - freefor NJ Transit monthly pass andticket holders, or$7.15 one way.
- NJ TransitNortheast Corridor train service at Newark Penn Station, via NJ Transit busses on Bloomfield Ave and Newark Light Rail.Freeif you show a monthly rail pass, or a total of $8.75 (in separate bus, light rail and train fares) if you do not.
- Morris & Essex line servicehas resumed on alimited scheduleto NY Penn Station (no Hoboken service), but there is not yet a public shuttle for our residents to nearby Orange or Brick Church station. Best mass transit connection: take the NJ Transit 11, 28 or 29 bus down Bloomfield Ave to Newark Broad Street station, and transfer there to the Morris & Essex line. Services are free to monthly pass holders.
- FreeNew York Waterway ferry service from Lincoln Harbor (Weehawken), via shuttle bus from the Glen Ridge Library and connecting busses in Manhattan. Runs only from 6-10AM inbound and 4-8PM outbound.
- PATHtrain service between Newark Penn Station and 33rd Street in Manhattan,via NJ Transit busses on Bloomfield Ave and Newark Light Rail.$2.25 one-way fare (in addition to connecting bus/ light rail fares). Convenient parking may also be available at the Harrison station.
- NJ Transit Allwood Park & Ride in Clifton, with frequent express busses to Port Authority. Cost:$2.00 to park, Bus fare isFree for monthly pass holders, $5.50 one-way express for all others.
Please see below for important details on all five options.
- Mass transit access to Hoboken is still limited, but some possibilities are detailed below.
During the Montclair-Boonton Line disruption, our jitneys continue to operate on a normal schedule to bring commuters to Ridgewood and Bloomfield Avenues, from which you can take the first three options above.
DeCamp Bus Lines
The number 33 bus leaves from bus stops along Bloomfield Ave at Parkway House, Ridgewood Ave and Hillside Ave. DeCamp is cross-honoring NJ Transit monthly passes. One-way fare is $7.15, ten-trip fare is $66.50. Busses leave about every 10-20 minutes in the morning rush hour, and every 20 minutes in the evening rush hour; see timetable for exact times from Montclair/ Gates Ave and Bloomfield / Broad & Liberty Streets - Glen Ridge riders must interpolate. Note that riders report crowded conditions both inbound and especially outbound while NJ Transit trains are out of service. Travel time is 45 minutes or so.
Timetables: West Caldwell/Montclair to New York
New York to Montclair/West Caldwell
NJ Transit Bus / Light Rail / Train
Using existing routes, with the limited train and light rail service currently operating, you can reach New York Penn Station by transferring from Bloomfield Ave busses to the Newark Light Rail to trains at Newark Penn Station.
Cost: no charge to monthly pass holders; those who buy tickets must pay $2.25 (exact change) on the bus, $1.50 on the light rail and $5.00 on the train, totaling $8.75 one way.
Board the 11, 28 or 29 bus at any Bloomfield Ave bus stop (Parkway House, Ridgewood Ave or Hillside Ave.) and either show your pass or pay $2.25. Exit the bus at the Bloomfield Ave. light rail stop next to Branch Brook Park in Newark. Go down the stairs and wait on the platform for the light rail, which is running a limited schedule – every 15 minutes. If you don’t have a monthly pass, buy a ticket at the vending machine for $1.50. Exit the light rail at the final stop, Newark Penn Station. Go upstairs and buy a ticket to New York Penn Station for $5.00 (or simply show your monthly pass). Northeast Corridor trains are currently running a limited schedule.
Riders report travel times of 60-75 minutes using this option, with smooth connections and available seats.
Morris & Essex Line
Service has resumed on the M&E line, and the latest reports tell of plenty of room and on-time performance. Alimited scheduleto NY Penn Station has been set up (no Hoboken service), but there is not yet a public shuttle for our residents to nearby Orange or Brick Church station. Morning rush hour trains leave from Orange at 6:11, 6:54, 7:16, 7:52 and 8:16 (and from Brick Church 3 minutes later). There is a daily parking lot at both stations, but availability is uncertain.
Easiest mass transit connection from Glen Ridge: take the NJ Transit 11, 28 or 29 bus down Bloomfield Ave to Newark Broad Street station, and transfer there to the Morris & Essex line. The M&E line is free to Glen Ridge monthly pass holders, as is the connecting bus service.
New York Waterway
Gov. Christie has set up free, interim ferry service for Montclair, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield commuters. Busses leave from the Glen Ridge Public Library every ten minutes between 6:00 and 10:00 AM, and pick us up from the Weehawken ferry terminal for the trip home every ten minutes between 4:00 and 8:00 PM.FromPier 79 at West 39thStreet in Manhattan,free shuttle busses leave for (and return from)Lincoln Center,57th Street,50th Street,42nd Street,34th StreetandDowntown. Note that riders have reported total travel times of 90-120 minutes, as the shuttle bus drivers – many of them from other areas – learn the route and traffic remains heavy.
Note:after 8 pm there is no direct transit connection back to Glen Ridge.
There is an alternative means of getting to the Weehawken - via Bergen Main Line to Hoboken, as detailed below.
PATH Train via NJ Transit Bus / Light Rail
Using the NJ Transit connecting bus and light rail service described in the preceding section, you can also take the PATH trains from Newark Penn Station to 33rd Street in Manhattan, beginning Monday, November 12.
Cost: $2.25 one-way for a PATH ticket; NJ Transit connecting service is at no charge to monthly pass holders; those who buy tickets must pay $2.25 (exact change) on the bus and $1.50 on the light rail, totaling $6.00 one way.
Board the 11, 28 or 29 bus at any Bloomfield Ave bus stop (Parkway House, Ridgewood Ave or Hillside Ave.) and either show your pass or pay $2.25.Exit the bus at the Bloomfield Ave. light rail stop next to Branch Brook Park in Newark.Go down the stairs and wait on the platform for the light rail, which is running a limited schedule – every 15 minutes.If you don’t have a monthly pass, buy a ticket at the vending machine for $1.50.Exit the light rail at the final stop, Newark Penn Station. Go upstairs to the PATH platform and enter using your MetroCard or Smartlink card. Various fare options are available.
Please note that the Christopher Street and 9th Street stations are closed. PATH trains stop only atNewark-Penn Station,Harrison,Journal Square,Grove Street,Newport,14 Street,23 Street and33 Street.
This service is just reopening as of Monday, November 12, but you should expect total travel times of somewhat over an hour.
Alternative tip: the Harrison PATH station has aparking garage next door, which could make for a good connection. Daily cost of the Harrison Parking Garage is said to be $11.
NJ Transit Allwood Park & Ride
NJ Transit busses run every five minutes from this park & ride station on Allwood Road in Clifton to Port Authority. Parking costs $2.00/day. Show your monthly pass to enter the bus, or pay $5.50 one-way. Lines 191, 192, 195 and 199 serve this station. Return busses leave from gate 234 in Port Authority; those without monthly passes must buy a ticket before boarding the bus.
To reach the Allwood Road Park & Ride from Glen Ridge, drive up Broad Street past the Brookdale Shoprite, and turn right at Ploch’s Garden Center onto Allwood Road. The Park & Ride is about 0.2 miles up the road. Enter the parking lot on the right, and buy your daily parking pass at the ticking vending machine.
It takes 10-15 minutes to drive to the Allwood Park & Ride from Glen Ridge, and the ride to Port Authority is about 35-40 minutes.
Getting to Hoboken
Rail travel to Hoboken has become difficult because the Montclair line and Hoboken PATH are out of service, and the restarted Morris & Essex line does not yet go there. There is an alternative: the Main / Bergen line, the closest station on which isDelawannain Clifton. The fare to Hoboken is $x.xx - no word on whether Glen Ridge monthlies are honored there. Amodified scheduleis in effect, to Hoboken only. Delawanna has a free parking lot with 137 spaces.
To reach Delawanna from Glen Ridge, take Broad Street to West Passaic Ave to Route 3 east. Exit to Main Ave and turn right to go under the highway. In half a mile, turn right onto Delawanna Ave, and continue another half mile until you reach the station. It's a 15-minute trip in normal traffic.
From Hoboken, you can transfer to the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, which goes to Jersey City as well as the Weehawken and Port Imperial ferry terminals.
We want to hear from you
Please give us your feedback on these alternatives. If you know of any others, write to Councilperson David Lefkovits at .
Regards,
Peter Hughes
Mayor