How Long is Your Commute, Montclair?

Montclair commuters spend an average of 26.3 minutes traveling to work everyday, according to WNYC. Does that seem correct?

Montclair is a commuter town, and many former New Yorkers find themselves drawn to greener pastures west of the Hudson River.  But after making a move to a larger home in the suburbs, many end up commuting Monday through Friday into New York City. And if you travel between 45 and 90 minutes to work, you are considered a "mega commuter" by the U.S. Census Bureau.  The Garden State's proximity and accessibility to New York City has contributed to it getting the distinction of having the second-highest percentage of commuters making mega commutes — 14.8 percent.  New Jersey only trails New York in mega commuters, which as 16.2 percent, and is well above the national average of 8.1. percent.  According the WNYC Commuter Map above, Montclair …

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Hoboken Terminal Waiting Room To Reopen

The waiting room is scheduled to reopen on Jan. 29.

  The Waiting Room at the Hoboken Terminal will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 29, announced New Jersey Transit on Friday.  Construction crews power washed the walls, replaced heaters and heater motors, electrical panels, outlets and wiring, and the floors were stripped and sealed. Remaining work includes cleaning, refinishing and resetting benches and other affected woodwork, to be performed in the near future, NJ Transit announced.  The waiting room sustained extenstive damage during Sandy and has been closed since the storm.  The Waiting Room was closed on December 19. NJ Transit's announcement explained:  At the height of Hurricane Sandy, Hudson River flooding immersed the entire terminal in at least five feet of water.  When the water …

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24/7 PATH Service Could Resume in Seven Days

Trains will run from Newark to the World Trade Center this weekend. There'll be no service between Hoboken and 33rd Street over the weekend.

  Round the clock PATH service could resume between seven and ten days, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  "Workers can make repairs to the PATH system significantly faster when power to third rails is turned off, with no trains running in active construction zones," according to the Port Authority's announcement.  On Saturday January 5 and Sunday January 6, service will be suspended between Hoboken and 33rd Street. Trains will run between Newark and the World Trade Center this weekend instead.  Round the clock service has been suspended since Sandy hit Hoboken in late October, 2012.  Hoboken's PATH station was the last one to open, and service has been restored between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day. 

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Hoboken PATH To Open Wednesday

Trains will be tested soon at the Hoboken location, according to the Port Authority.

  The Hoboken PATH station is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday for service to midtown Manhattan, according to an announcement from the City of Hoboken. Service will start at 5 a.m. and will operate seven days a week between 5 a.m. till 10 p.m. The restoration of 24/7 PATH service is expected by the end of the year in time for New Year’s Eve. Direct PATH service between Hoboken and the World Trade Center remains several weeks away pending ongoing repairs. “The reopening of the Hoboken PATH station is a tremendous relief for our commuters and local businesses,” Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in a press release. The announcement follows a promising tweet from the Port Authority on Monday: "Around-the-clock weekend work moved #PATH closer to HOB …

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Port Authority Estimates Sandy Damage at $300M

Work on the Hoboken station is still being done. Repairs will take several more weeks.

The Hoboken PATH station -- usually full of waiting PATH riders between New York and New Jersey -- remained quiet on Tuesday morning, while Port Authority workers continue to repair the massive damage that was done by Superstorm Sandy. Thousands of gallons of water flooded the Hoboken station, which is currently the only station that is still closed. Water came in through the walls and elevators leading to the station, in one case shattering the elevator's glass. The breaker rooms that house all the electrical wires for the tunnels were severely flooded too and are still being repaired, said acting director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Stephen Kingsberry. The total damage to the PATH system, said Kingsberry, is about $…

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Midtown Direct Resumes Regular Service Monday

Beginning Monday, Midtown Direct service is back to a regular schedule. NJT will operate nearly 90 percent of normal peak service.

  Good news, commuters. Three weeks after Hurricane Sandy, NJ Transit will restore weekday service to the Montclair-Boonton Line starting Monday. Midtown Direct service between Montclair State University and New York will operate on a regular schedule, which can be found here. Service between Hackettstown and Hoboken on Monday will run on a modified schedule, which can be found here.  Starting Monday, Eastbound service -- to Hoboken/New York -- will operate approximately once an hour until noon, and then there will be limited service to New York only. Westbound service -- from New York/Hoboken -- will be available before 1 p.m. After that, westbound service will operate every 60 to 90 minutes. According to the NJ Tranist website, commuters…

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NJ Transit Starts Free Bus/Ferry Service Friday

Montclair-Boonton Line commuters can connect to a free ferry service into Manhattan.

  NJ Transit announced on Thursday an expanded plan to get commuters on suspended train lines into New York City. Beginning on Friday, Nov. 9, there will be free weekday emergency shuttle bus and ferry services.  For commuters that ride the Montclair-Boonton Line, there will be a free shuttle bus between Bay Street, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield Avenue stations and Weehawken Ferry Terminal. In addition there will be a free ferry service between Weehawken and Pier 79 at West 39th Street in Manhattan.  The bus shuttle and ferry services will operate weekdays between 6 and 10 a.m. inbound, and 4 to 8 p.m. outbound. Bus shuttles will operate on a load-and-go basis every 10 minutes. Montclair Township has announced that commuters can park in the …

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Words and Wheels: Will NYC Revive the Out-of-State Commuter Tax?

If NYC brings back the commuter tax it will affect Essex County's 30,000-plus commuters.