NJ Transit strike could strand 350K riders and the emergency backup plan wont solve the problem
A looming NJ Transit rail strike could upend the commutes of some 350,000 people starting Friday as engineers prepare for the first walkout in more than 40 years.And the New Jersey public transportation corporation’s emergency backup plan won’t come close to filling the gap.NJ Transit is already preparing for the walkout by urging as many people as possible to start working from home.
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen vowed a major rail strike by midnight Friday morning if their union does not reach a deal for better wages with NJ Transit, which has repeatedly claimed it cannot afford.And for some NJ Transit riders, the potential strike is hitting even faster.The NJ Transit announced earlier this week that it is nixing all bus and rail transportation to Shakira’s concerts scheduled for Thursday and Friday.Since Thursday’s concert is already sold out, it could impact as many as 82,500 people, who will have to find other ways to get to the arena.Depending on how long a strike drags on, it could also impact Beyoncé’s tour, as the popular singer is scheduled to play five shows at the Meadowlands starting on May 22.As mediators in Washington try to push the two sides to reach a deal before Thursday, NJ Transit — the nation’s third-largest transit system — announced it will provide an additional fleet of buses to assist rail commuters if a strike materializes.Agency officials, however, admitted the buses would only accommodate about 20% of its daily riders, as each bus can only carry about 100 passengers as opposed to a train that can fit 1,000.The charter buses will be running from four parking lots around the state to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan and PATH train stations starting on May 19.
That means there will be no additional routes running on the first day of the strike.NJ Transit has issued a warning on its website about the projected impacts to commuters, noting that the additional bus rides will o...