NJ Transit Trains to NYC

[rutgersdave]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/chr...ing-delays-for-nj-transit-commuters-1.1380604

I'm glad I don't have to commute to NYC but we need to spend some money on the infrastructure, tunnels and road. The recent 9% increase doesn't even cover the union contract increase for the next few years.

“There’s been a steady decline in capital investment from NJ Transit,” said Gardner. “All the users need to pay for their fair share of this asset to stop the chronic underinvestment.”

Blame for Obama

In Iowa, Christie indirectly blamed President Obama for failing to bring congressional and state leaders to the table to hammer out financing for a new tunnel under the Hudson River. Amtrak has said the existing, century-old tunnels must be replaced within 20 years due to age, damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and increased demand.

“If I were president, I would try to bring all those parties together,” Christie said.

Democrats and some transit riders found Christie’s statement at odds with his own record, since it was Christie himself who canceled a new tunnel project in 2011, months after digging had already begun. If construction had continued, the tunnel, named Access to the Region’s Core, would have been scheduled to open in 2018. Christie said at the time that cost overruns could fall on New Jersey taxpayers.

“His cancellation of the ARC tunnel project has left New Jersey’s trans-Hudson commuters with no choice but to endure Amtrak’s delays,” said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, D-Middlesex, an outspoken critic of the governor who served as co-chairman of a legislative panel investigating the George Washington Bridge lane closures under Christie’s watch. “The governor has taken hypocrisy to a new level with his criticism of Amtrak.”

All the attention comes at a potentially critical time. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote as early as Sunday on a transportation bill to fund Amtrak, which is a for-profit company that is chartered by the federal government and receives part of its funding from Congress.

One section, proposed by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., among others, would increase federal spending on Amtrak by $300 million to $1.65 billion annually for the next four years, plus provide $570 million in mass transit grants. Supporters said they hope that’s enough to start planning for a new trans-Hudson tunnel.

A measure passed by the Republican-controlled House goes in the opposite direction. It would keep federal transportation funds flowing only through December and trim Amtrak’s federal subsidy by $242 million. The two chambers must find a compromise before the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which pays for both road and rail projects, runs out of money on July 31.

 

[oliverm]

I travel every day into the city on the train and it is a disaster. Only a matter of time before it starts really impacting the economic activity of the region. I have thought about moving out of the state it is so bad.

 

[ru66]

wait till they shut down one tunnel (at a time) for extended months due to needed repairs caused by sandy--not only will the riders be screwed but major roads in nj and ny will be in shambles affecting non train riders alike--short sighted christie should take major blamer

 

[Bleed_Scarlet]

This is all true, but New Jersey Transit is a mess from a customer service perspective and for that Christie should be held accountable.

They always blame Amtrak, but never look at their own failures

NJ Transit had the worst communications I have ever seen. When things go wrong, they are incapable of disseminating information in a reasonable manner to commuters. A few weeks back, a train of mine was cancelled by them removing it from the departure board- there were no announcements, the website was not updated, and no NJT personnel were aware of what was going on

If this were uncommon, that would be one thing, but things like this happen whenever there is stress to the system.

This is a company that applauds themselves for getting mid 5 numbers (on a 10 point scale) on their own surveys - look at the survey results- they are abysmal. They never have cracked a 5.5 on my train line in the past 5 years (all that is available online)

These surveys are public and published and if our governor actually paid attention to the commuters in the state, he would open his amply sized mouth and demand accountability

 

[rutgersdave]

This is all true, but New Jersey Transit is a mess from a customer service perspective and for that Christie should be held accountable.

They always blame Amtrak, but never look at their own failures

NJ Transit had the worst communications I have ever seen. When things go wrong, they are incapable of disseminating information in a reasonable manner to commuters. A few weeks back, a train of mine was cancelled by them removing it from the departure board- there were no announcements, the website was not updated, and no NJT personnel were aware of what was going on

If this were uncommon, that would be one thing, but things like this happen whenever there is stress to the system.

This is a company that applauds themselves for getting mid 5 numbers (on a 10 point scale) on their own surveys - look at the survey results- they are abysmal. They never have cracked a 5.5 on my train line in the past 5 years (all that is available online)

These surveys are public and published and if our governor actually paid attention to the commuters in the state, he would open his amply sized mouth and demand accountability

He's only accountable to the Shore people and Sandy.

 

[R1776U]

draw a line from the top of monmouth county to just south of trenton .. break north jersey off, give it to new dork, and call it a day...

and ban all benny's

 

[rutgersal]

draw a line from the top of monmouth county to just south of trenton .. break north jersey off, give it to new dork, and call it a day...

and ban all benny's

I'd love for that to happen. North jerseyans are the ones carrying the heaviest tax burden thx to more valuable land and higher property taxes. North jersey would be prosperous on its own. south jersey would resemble West Virginia.

 

[R1776U]

I'd love for that to happen. North jerseyans are the ones carrying the heaviest tax burden thx to more valuable land and higher property taxes. North jersey would be prosperous on its own. south jersey would resemble West Virginia.

WVA... with beaches that you'd be banned from(thank god):cool2:

 

[RU4Real]

Christie is a lying asshole.

He was the one who scrapped the ARC project - it was one of the first things he did as governor. At NO TIME did he even suggest that there be any discussion as to the cost breakdown. He simply declared that it would be too expensive for NJ taxpayers and pulled the plug.

The one vaguely unsettling thing about watching this egomaniacal assclown run for President is that we get to compare the things he says now with things he's said previously as governor and note that in many cases his stories don't line up.

 

[ArminRU]

Christie is a lying asshole.

He was the one who scrapped the ARC project - it was one of the first things he did as governor. At NO TIME did he even suggest that there be any discussion as to the cost breakdown. He simply declared that it would be too expensive for NJ taxpayers and pulled the plug.

The one vaguely unsettling thing about watching this egomaniacal assclown run for President is that we get to compare the things he says now with things he's said previously as governor and note that in many cases his stories don't line up.

Pretty much this. He's the last one that should be talking.

 

[Section124]

WVA... with beaches that you'd be banned from(thank god):cool2:

You can have those skank beaches. I grew up spending the summers at LBI but choose to never go there because of idiots like you. The ironic part is most residents/homeowners of the shore are originally from north Jersey.

 

[Section124]

Christie is a lying asshole.

He was the one who scrapped the ARC project - it was one of the first things he did as governor. At NO TIME did he even suggest that there be any discussion as to the cost breakdown. He simply declared that it would be too expensive for NJ taxpayers and pulled the plug.

The one vaguely unsettling thing about watching this egomaniacal assclown run for President is that we get to compare the things he says now with things he's said previously as governor and note that in many cases his stories don't line up.

I agree with you on Christie. However the ARC project wasn't going to give us what we need. We need access to Grand Central. The extension of the 7 train is what we need. I hate New York but would rather be part of NY to be integrated into the subway system.

 

[RU4Real]

You can have those skank beaches. I grew up spending the summers at LBI but choose to never go there because of idiots like you. The ironic part is most residents/homeowners of the shore are originally from north Jersey.

 

[NotInRHouse]

Christie is a lying asshole.

He was the one who scrapped the ARC project - it was one of the first things he did as governor. At NO TIME did he even suggest that there be any discussion as to the cost breakdown. He simply declared that it would be too expensive for NJ taxpayers and pulled the plug.

The one vaguely unsettling thing about watching this egomaniacal assclown run for President is that we get to compare the things he says now with things he's said previously as governor and note that in many cases his stories don't line up.

+ 1

He would do it as President but not as governor...how can anyone be so dumb to believe this crap

Also the taxpayers are on the hook for another 2 million and growing in legal fees after it was announced this week that a Republican prosecutor fired for indicting Christie cronies won his quest for documents to show he was ousted for revealing more Christie corruption.

 

[NotInRHouse]

He's only accountable to the Shore people and Sandy.

Don't tell that to those homeless while Christie was paying to run ads and giving the money to towns with no damage but mayors who backed him while any town from Hoboken to Ocean County with a mayor that wouldn't endorse him got nothing.

Kind of like how he doled out pieces of 9/11 steel to only his backers.

When NJ is in crisis, just like this week, Christie is MIA, he just comes back to give our tax dollars to his cronies and his favorite law firms to defend his thievery. Meanwhile the state is 49th in job growth and has 9 credit downgrades... somehow this is a qualification to run for office, he shouldn't be elected dog catcher.

 

[oliverm]

And we are getting warned on Sunday that tomorrow is going to be a disaster

 

[ScarletKid2008]

Nj Transit is God awful. It's all part of the politics corruptness and wasted money of this region. The NY\NJ Port Authority is a cesspool of overpaid , bloated and no show jobs. And no clue why they own the World Trade Center site. Which will end up being a huge loss at the tax payers expense AGAIN! Christie put money into XANDU and Revel. Two of the biggest fails of all time with NJ tax payer money , yet the last thing North NJ needs is another mall !

 

[RutgersROB]

The bus to NYC thru the Lincoln Tunnel is horrendous as well... I could only imagine how bad it is in the morning but from 5pm to 7pm goin into the city is a nightmare with traffic.... The best part about it is 75% of the busses goin in that time are empty and not in service!!! So they are not making money, paying the toll to go thru tunnel, and causing gridlock... When elected officials drive that route they have police escorts and sail right thru otherwise if they had to sit in it one time there would be a resolution... Me personAlly i think they should build a bus only bridge from the helix dirextly into the port authority and use that.... Somethings gotta be done and i think nothing is being done cus they are makin money... Dont forget the tunnel toll went from $7 to $ 15 in the last 3 years

 

[BeKnighted]

I agree with you on Christie. However the ARC project wasn't going to give us what we need. We need access to Grand Central. The extension of the 7 train is what we need. I hate New York but would rather be part of NY to be integrated into the subway system.

The 7 line extension (which I think would be a good idea on its own merits) would do nothing to address the issue that the third tunnel would address, which is that the existing two tunnels are running above capacity and that there'd be a complete disaster if one of them became unusable.

 

[Scarlet16E]

Nj Transit is God awful. It's all part of the politics corruptness and wasted money of this region. The NY\NJ Port Authority is a cesspool of overpaid , bloated and no show jobs. And no clue why they own the World Trade Center site. Which will end up being a huge loss at the tax payers expense AGAIN! Christie put money into XANDU and Revel. Two of the biggest fails of all time with NJ tax payer money , yet the last thing North NJ needs is another mall !

Maybe try learning why, instead of ranting.
The PANYNJ owns the WTC site because NY wanted a trade center, and NJ wanted a bail out of the bankrupt Hudson & Manhattan Railroad.
Both sides got what they wanted and the PATH was born.

 

[rutgersdave]

Why don't we have a godola lift across the Hudson River(1 mile) about $200 million cost?

 

[mdk01]

Christie is a lying asshole.

He was the one who scrapped the ARC project - it was one of the first things he did as governor. At NO TIME did he even suggest that there be any discussion as to the cost breakdown. He simply declared that it would be too expensive for NJ taxpayers and pulled the plug.

The one vaguely unsettling thing about watching this egomaniacal assclown run for President is that we get to compare the things he says now with things he's said previously as governor and note that in many cases his stories don't line up.

But the simple fact is that it WAS too expensive for New Jersey taxpayers. NYS/NYC were to pay NOTHING!! New Jersey was on the hook for 100% of the cost overruns. Can you imagine what would have happened in Boston and Massachusetts had ben 100% responsible for cost overruns on the Big Dig? And, in fact, it was a money maker for NYS, as the New Jersey resident workers working on the Manhattan terminal would have been paying nonresident NYS income taxes. The way the deal was negotiated, it was in NY's interest to HAVE cost overruns.

So while you're tossing criticism around, how about a little for the Governor of New Jersey who "negotiated" the state into that no win deal, Jon Corzine.

 

[RU4Real]

But the simple fact is that it WAS too expensive for New Jersey taxpayers. NYS/NYC were to pay NOTHING!! New Jersey was on the hook for 100% of the cost overruns. Can you imagine what would have happened in Boston and Massachusetts had ben 100% responsible for cost overruns on the Big Dig? And, in fact, it was a money maker for NYS, as the New Jersey resident workers working on the Manhattan terminal would have been paying nonresident NYS income taxes. The way the deal was negotiated, it was in NY's interest to HAVE cost overruns.

So while you're tossing criticism around, how about a little for the Governor of New Jersey who "negotiated" the state into that no win deal, Jon Corzine.

There's almost nothing in this post that's actually true.

First of all, NJ was only on the hook for $2.7B of the initial $10B price tag. The rest of the money was being put up by the Fed and by the Port Authority.

Second, there was no specific contractual breakdown as to who would pay for anticipated cost overruns. That stuff isn't determined until actual vendor contracts are written - and none had been. Christie made a grandstand play that the overruns were going to bankrupt New Jersey but there's nothing beyond speculation as to the magnitude of the overruns or who would ultimately end up paying for them.

Christie cancelling the project was political, plain and simple. This article in The Economist does a good job of laying out the explanation.

Beyond all that, you're missing the point - Christie is now saying on the campaign trail that he would bring all parties together and hammer out an agreement if he's elected President. What he's intentionally NOT saying is that he refused to do precisely that, five years ago, as Governor - even when Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood traveled to Trenton to do just that.

 

[anvilofstars]

But the simple fact is that it WAS too expensive for New Jersey taxpayers. NYS/NYC were to pay NOTHING!! New Jersey was on the hook for 100% of the cost overruns. Can you imagine what would have happened in Boston and Massachusetts had ben 100% responsible for cost overruns on the Big Dig? And, in fact, it was a money maker for NYS, as the New Jersey resident workers working on the Manhattan terminal would have been paying nonresident NYS income taxes. The way the deal was negotiated, it was in NY's interest to HAVE cost overruns.

So while you're tossing criticism around, how about a little for the Governor of New Jersey who "negotiated" the state into that no win deal, Jon Corzine.

I am not clear why a couple million in tax dollars for NY state would have been better than the economic impact of making NYC a more desirable place to work.

 

[RU4Real]

I am not clear why a couple million in tax dollars for NY state would have been better than the economic impact of making NYC a more desirable place to work.

It's not in New Jersey's best interest to make NYC a more desirable place to work. Nor is it really in NY's best interest to make NYC a more convenient commute for NJ residents. At a high level, that's probably the most concise explanation for everyone's unwillingness to participate.

The issue that I had with ARC - and I was working in the industry at the time - was that it didn't go into NY Penn directly. The original plan was for it to do so, but environmental concerns regarding the sediment on the Hudson River bottom forced a routing change. So the whole thing would have been a giant clusterf*ck anyway.

 

[RCTrooper]

There's almost nothing in this post that's actually true.

First of all, NJ was only on the hook for $2.7B of the initial $10B price tag. The rest of the money was being put up by the Fed and by the Port Authority.

Second, there was no specific contractual breakdown as to who would pay for anticipated cost overruns. That stuff isn't determined until actual vendor contracts are written - and none had been. Christie made a grandstand play that the overruns were going to bankrupt New Jersey but there's nothing beyond speculation as to the magnitude of the overruns or who would ultimately end up paying for them.

Christie cancelling the project was political, plain and simple. This article in The Economist does a good job of laying out the explanation.

Beyond all that, you're missing the point - Christie is now saying on the campaign trail that he would bring all parties together and hammer out an agreement if he's elected President. What he's intentionally NOT saying is that he refused to do precisely that, five years ago, as Governor - even when Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood traveled to Trenton to do just that.

One other piece of the puzzle that isn't being mentioned is that Christie had other motivation to cancel the project. He diverted $1.3 Billion from the ARC allocation directly to the nearly-empty NJ Transportation fund (which is used to fund state road upkeep) in 2011 instead of having to raise NJ's gasoline tax; which would make his personal star shine a little less brightly.

 

[RU4Real]

One other piece of the puzzle that isn't being mentioned is that Christie had other motivation to cancel the project. He diverted $1.3 Billion from the ARC allocation directly to the nearly-empty NJ Transportation fund (which is used to fund state road upkeep) in 2011 instead of having to raise NJ's gasoline tax; which would make his personal star shine a little less brightly.

If you read the Economist article I linked, it very specifically spells that out.

 

[RCTrooper]

If you read the Economist article I linked, it very specifically spells that out.

As a rule, I try to read as little of your posts as possible.

 

[RU4Real]

As a rule, I try to read as little of your posts as possible.

Which harms me in no way whatever, but leaves you looking a bit daft.

 

[BigLou]

The fact that the Port Authority was kicking in some money does not really refute Christie's reasoning. Half the Port Authority money belongs to NJ anyway. NJ's share of the cost, even before overruns were significantly higher than NY's share. NY would have reaped the benefit of the project without contributing as much as NJ.

 

[Piscataway]

draw a line from the top of monmouth county to just south of trenton .. break north jersey off, give it to new dork, and call it a day...

and ban all benny's

I am not a fan of the scrotum that is south Jersey, but I would move there to be rid of the politics of the Blue North

 

[RU4Real]

The fact that the Port Authority was kicking in some money does not really refute Christie's reasoning. Half the Port Authority money belongs to NJ anyway. NJ's share of the cost, even before overruns were significantly higher than NY's share. NY would have reaped the benefit of the project without contributing as much as NJ.

So you're saying that no tunnel will ever get built?

And, just to throw some logic at the Devil's Advocate perspective, saying that "NY would have reaped the benefit" isn't really accurate.

Better commuting into the city allows more, higher wage workers to move to NJ - or for existing NJ workers to get higher paying jobs in NYC. That means more property tax revenue and more income tax revenue for NJ.

New York doesn't really benefit because employee headcount is a zero-sum game, assuming that no businesses relocate out of NYC. It doesn't matter to the city or state of NY where those people live.

 

[RUfinal4]

the issue to me is that NJ is willing to open the state's check book to pay for road upgrades but seems to be forcing NJ Transit to run a balanced budget. I believe in NY that tax dollars help to subsidize the subway, LIRR, and Metro North.

To improve the system they need to infuse NJ Transit with tax dollars for capital improvements. My guess is that the Republicans in charge believe that those that vote for them prefer to drive, take private buses, or pay more for the NYC ferries vs. trains where the avg blue collar democrat may ride.

I did a quick compare of 3 stations on the 3 train lines a similar distance from their NY end stop. I looked at monthly ticket price and late night trains:

Massapequa to Penn Station on LIRR (35.2 miles):
$287 for a monthly ticket
has a 1:42am, 3:10am, and 4:54am train from Penn Station back to LI

Ossining to Grand Centra (35.9 miles)
$300 for a monthly ticket
has a 1:00am, 1:50am, and then the 1st train for of the day is the 5:36am

Edison to Penn Station (34.9 miles)
$349 for a monthly ticket
has a last train at 1:22am until a 1st train of the day at 4:17am

LIRR seems to have the best deal. They have the lowest monthly fares and have late night trains. Think about how many times you left a Yankee game early to catch a train or were at a party in the city but needed to leave early for a train while your LI friends didn't have to worry since they had a late night train.

Also, NJ transit does not often run extra trains around special events in NYC like ball games, parades, or days before a holiday. That may mean if you leave at 1pm on the Friday of a holiday weekend you may only have 1 or 2 trains per hour since it is considered off peak. Or if there is a sold out Rangers playoff game that started at 8:30 and went to OT you may need to leave early to catch a train or be forced to wait an hour for the next train.

Plus travel to downtown NY (Wall St) area just sucks from NJ via NJ Transit. You need to go to Newark and then squeeze onto the 3rd world train system called the PATH. Your alternative is to pay more for a boat or risk traffic on a bus. I don't understand why they don't get money to expand the PATH tunnels to run real trains over to Wall St. Most commuters want a 1 seat ride. Riding NJ transit for 40 mins and then switching to the PATH and standing for 25 mins can be stressful vs. a 1 hour ride where you may be able to sleep and not need to run to catch connections.

A door to door commute from Edison to your work place in NYC may take you an hour and a half which is only 35-40 miles. The train ride itself is just under an hour. Then you may need to leave your house 10-15 mins before the train and then you may have a 15 min walk to your office. If going to Wall St you have a 38-40 min train ride plus a 22-25 min PATH ride. Add the same time for getting to the station and your office and you have the same 1 and 1/2 hour commute. Compare that to living in Edison and working in Parsippany. That is a 40 mile commute that will take about an hour to an hour and a quarter driving.

 

[lighty]

"The ironic part is most residents/homeowners of the shore are originally from north Jersey"

I hear that all the time from people in North Jersey, but I never see it in Monmouth County. Sounds like a line that's been repeated so often people accept it as truth. But, then again, most people in North Jersey still don't believe we live here all year long.

 

[BigLou]

So you're saying that no tunnel will ever get built?

And, just to throw some logic at the Devil's Advocate perspective, saying that "NY would have reaped the benefit" isn't really accurate.

Better commuting into the city allows more, higher wage workers to move to NJ - or for existing NJ workers to get higher paying jobs in NYC. That means more property tax revenue and more income tax revenue for NJ.

New York doesn't really benefit because employee headcount is a zero-sum game, assuming that no businesses relocate out of NYC. It doesn't matter to the city or state of NY where those people live.

I am not saying no tunnel will ever get built. A new tunnel is badly needed. It should be paid for by all those who will benefit from it.

My wife commutes via NJ Transit to Hoboken and the ferry to downtown. When there is a problem with the tunnels, commuters who usually go to NY Penn go to Hoboken instead. Her commute is made more difficult. Fortunately she has flexibility to often work from home or from a NJ office which she drives to. She switched her schedule today to work from home and Wednesday from the NJ office to avoid the train problems.

Specifically I was replying to RUforReal's post where he downplayed NJ's share oft he investment by saying that the Fed and the PA were kicking in most of the original cost. I was merely pointing out that NJ has a vested interest in half the PA money.

As far as the benefit, NY does benefit :
- income taxes - even if those who work in NYC move to NJ as a result of the improvements to commuting, NY still gets the income tax from those NY jobs. NJ has to give a credit for the tax paid to those residents who pay NY tax. So in terms of income tax receipts, NY does not lose when a worker moves to NJ.
- The movement of jobs between states is a competitive issue,. If commuting to NY is easier, that's one less reason for a company to move workers to NJ. So maintaining a zero gain in headcount is better than losing workers.
- Improved commuting may turn some who drive into the city into mass transit commuters, thereby reducing the number of cars entering NYC.
-keeping jobs in NY means no reduction is revenue generated from the spending those employees do while in NY.

There are plenty of reason why NY benefits from a tunnel and therefore should be helping pay for it.

 

[RU4Real]

As far as the benefit, NY does benefit :
- income taxes - even if those who work in NYC move to NJ as a result of the improvements to commuting, NY still gets the income tax from those NY jobs. NJ has to give a credit for the tax paid to those residents who pay NY tax. So in terms of income tax receipts, NY does not lose when a worker moves to NJ.
- The movement of jobs between states is a competitive issue,. If commuting to NY is easier, that's one less reason for a company to move workers to NJ. So maintaining a zero gain in headcount is better than losing workers.
- Improved commuting may turn some who drive into the city into mass transit commuters, thereby reducing the number of cars entering NYC.
-keeping jobs in NY means no reduction is revenue generated from the spending those employees do while in NY.

There are plenty of reason why NY benefits from a tunnel and therefore should be helping pay for it.

You've basically said what I said, but you're missing the point that NYC doesn't gain from a new tunnel as long as the jobs stay in NYC.

As you pointed out (and as I pointed out prior to that) it doesn't make any difference to the city or state of NY where NYC-based employees live. None whatsoever. They still get the tax revenue, they still get the economic benefit.

The only thing that moves the needle is if the commute sucks so much that jobs move the NJ.

Which is a good reason for a NJ politician to say "we're not going to spend any money making the commute to NYC easier".

Which, in turn, underscores my point that no entity has any vested interest in actually funding a new tunnel. It's not in anyone's best interest except the people stuck in shitty NJT trains.

 

[ru66]

how can anyone even remotely defend Christie who is one of NJ's worst governors among a list of many--and he is a big phoney to boot

 

[rutgersal]

The fact that the Port Authority was kicking in some money does not really refute Christie's reasoning. Half the Port Authority money belongs to NJ anyway. NJ's share of the cost, even before overruns were significantly higher than NY's share. NY would have reaped the benefit of the project without contributing as much as NJ.

nj gets the lions share of the benefit. ie higher property values-->higher property taxes

NY would rather people commute from Long Island or Westchester and they have their own priorities like eastside access, 2nd avenue subway, etc.

 

[Knight Shift]

"The ironic part is most residents/homeowners of the shore are originally from north Jersey"

I hear that all the time from people in North Jersey, but I never see it in Monmouth County. Sounds like a line that's been repeated so often people accept it as truth. But, then again, most people in North Jersey still don't believe we live here all year long.

It seems Manalapan, Freehold, and Holmdel are over run with North Jersey, Staten Island and Brooklyn transplants. They stand out when they pronounce Manalapan MANNA LAP IN. But those that live nearer the Ocean may debate if these towns are "the shore." Don't you need to be near a body of water that you can navigate by boat to reach the Atlantic Ocean to be at "the shore."?

Someone gave examples of the train service from Edison/Metropark. Try taking the train from Long Branch or points south (Mansquan/Spring Lake/Sea Girt). It takes nearly 2 hours each way.

 

[RBS05]

It's not in New Jersey's best interest to make NYC a more desirable place to work.

Better commuting into the city allows more, higher wage workers to move to NJ - or for existing NJ workers to get higher paying jobs in NYC. That means more property tax revenue and more income tax revenue for NJ.

Not quite sure how these posts were written by the same person.