NJ Transit vs. Boxcar Bus: Which commute is faster and cheaper during Portal Bridge work?
With three more weeks of reduced train service, News 12 compares the time and cost of two ways to get into Manhattan during the Portal Bridge cutover.
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With three more weeks of reduced train service due to the Portal Bridge cutover, commuters are looking for the best way to get into New York City.
On Monday, you saw how Tom Krosnowski made his way into Midtown Manhattan aboard the Boxcar Bus. Now, I'm taking a different approach, opting for a more budget-friendly commute on New Jersey Transit.
We started at the Watchung Avenue station, with Tom getting a two-minute head start on the bus. Our destination: 38th Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The challenge? Find out which option gets us there faster — and which one costs less.
My 7:02 a.m. train arrived a few minutes late. The ride was quiet, but things slowed down as we approached Hoboken Terminal. That's because Phase 2 of the Portal North Bridge cutover is underway.
Crews are moving the remaining track onto the new bridge, forcing commuters on affected Midtown Direct lines to transfer in Hoboken instead of riding straight into New York Penn Station.
Once I got to Hoboken, I had to switch to the PATH train to continue into Manhattan. With plenty of other commuters making the same connection, the transfer added another step to my morning commute.
Luckily, the wait wasn't too long. After five more stops on the PATH, I was off the train and walking five blocks to our meeting spot.
But Tom beat me there.
His Boxcar Bus trip took about an hour, despite the usual traffic on the Helix. My commute took about an hour and a half, with the train transfer and slower ride into Hoboken adding time to the trip.
While Tom's ride was quicker and offered comfortable seats, my commute came with a much lower price tag.
I paid just $6.60 one way, with NJ Transit tickets cross-honored on the PATH during the service disruption.
With three more weeks of reduced train service ahead, commuters will have to decide what's more important - getting into the city faster or spending less to get there.
