NJ Transit’s second quarterly “Scorecard” results are in, and they aren’t anything to brag about. The agency’s overall score rose from 5.2 to 5.3 on a scale of 1 to 10, which NJ Transit still describes as “satisfactory” or “acceptable.” “Fares” and “on-time performance” remain the areas most frequently identified as in need of improvement system-wide. They are also the areas the agency has the least control over, pointing to the need for state policymakers to step up support for transit.
While light rail, bus, and Access Link (paratransit) all saw small improvements in overall customer satisfaction, rail scores dropped from 4.5 to 4.2. This does not come as a shock as rail commuters suffered through significant delays over the past two months due to electrical problems, equipment problems and most notably an Amtrak derailment in one of the Hudson River tunnels that brought the entire region to a screeching halt.
Another data point from the survey getting a lot of attention is the overwhelming demand for increased bus service out of the Lincoln Tunnel during the evening rush. Commuters are looking for an increase in bus services during the weekday PM peak and on weekday evenings, suggesting the need for an express bus lane in the evenings, which TSTC has long called for.
Investment in mass transit must be a priority and is key in resolving this transit debacle. But funding for transit is shrinking. In 2004, almost half of the state’s transportation capital budget went to mass transit. This year, NJ Transit is lucky to see a third. Don’t expect much improvement in on-time performance or service disruptions until this changes.
Almost 15,000 customers responded to the survey online and on transit vehicles during the summer months. Click here to sign up to take the current survey online. The agency is also holding listening sessions starting today.
Photo: Gasgoo.com
Concerning more service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal during weekday PM peak periods and evenings:
An outbound express bus lane will not get buses back to NY fast enough for another peak period trip on most routes.
The primary problem: The PABT is too small and cannot handle more peak period buses at boarding locations.
The second problem: The PABT is too small and has no place to store buses waiting to access boarding locations in an orderly manner. This means that buses exiting the Lincoln Tunnel cannot enter the building and are forced onto the streets of New York to circle (sometimes more than once) before being allowed into the building. This makes these buses late for their peak period trip and any subsequent trips they may make into the evening.
The third problem: The Lincoln Tunnel only has two inbound lanes in the PM peak. Any hiccup at all or greater than normal traffic volumes causes buses to be delayed even before they enter the tunnel.
Problems two and three would be helped to some degree by building a bus holding facility adjacent to the PABT with direct access from the Lincoln Tunnel. Some buses that now come in from New Jersey empty for the PM peak could be parked there all day and other buses could enter the storage facility (and drop off passengers there) instead of circling the streets of Manhattan. This would improve bus reliability and help get more trips from each bus, at least on some of the shorter routes to nearby parts of Hudson and Bergen counties. Unfortunately, the storage facility was axed from the Port Authroity’s capital program when the two governors demanded a cutback in the recent toll and PATH fare hikes.
If the storage facility were built, then an inbound PM express bus lane would help. An outbound PM express bus lane would be about number 5 on a list of ways to improve the PM commute experience for interstate bus riders.
[…] fares, on-time performance, and better communication of service disruptions. Of course, as the Tri-State Transportation Campaign aptly points out, fares and on-time performance are actually two areas that the agency has very […]