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well, until recently, there wasn't a compelling reason to build more, especially given the cost. but it would have been nice if in the past decade they did. now, we're stuck at capacity, and the ARC tunnel was cancelled based on Chris Christie's presidential ambitions.
It could be better, but compared to Los Angles and the rest of southern, CA, the NJ transit system is quite spectacular. It is a matter of perspective. NJ Transit reliability is terrible compared in the context of the PATH and ferry for downtown JC to Manhattan commute. It's relative.
Depends on what you do or live in Socal. Many of the interior suburbs have access to METROLINK which runs between LA and SD:
Think of Union Station in DTLA as the NY Penn for LA. Of course this system doesn't work for all people but to get from Orange County to DTLA without the traffic it's pretty good.
The issue is within LA. The metro subway is good for people in Hollywood and Culver City to get to downtown but completely useless at this time for reverse commuters (like me) who need to get from Hwood to Santa Monica for work everyday.
Thankfully, the subway will reach the beach in a few years. It's a huge milestone to have rail access from Santa Monica to DTLA. They are doing nonstop construction in preparation for it.
I think the big issue with NJ Transit (besides reliability and asinine montly costs) is phasing out of the old trains in favor of the newer double decker trains. Unfortunately they aren't too common on the NYC lines but are super competitive to what other commuter rails in the other US markets offer up. There is no fun in taking a 1986 train with worn suspension into NYC, not sure why they are still around.
There is no fun in taking a 1986 train with worn suspension into NYC, not sure why they are still around.
I like the old trains better. Soft, adjustable seats. Only problem is getting stuck in the middle on the 3-seater. The conductors like the old trains more, as well. The double-deckers are tough on their knees.
Last edited by bigjake54; 01-29-2014 at 02:03 PM..
Think of Union Station in DTLA as the NY Penn for LA. Of course this system doesn't work for all people but to get from Orange County to DTLA without the traffic it's pretty good.
Metrolink is a total joke. They run a grand total of 7 trains to DTLA on the Orange County Line on rush hour mornings (before noon). 10 trains to DTLA on rush hour mornings on the San Bernardino Line. Both have gaps of multiple hours in the middle of the day. And those are the two busiest lines in the system.
Compare that to, e.g., the Montclair-Boonton Line, which runs 16 trains to NY-Penn and another 14 trains to Hoboken before noon every day. Or 27 trains to NY-Penn and 23 to Hoboken before noon on the Morris and Essex Line. Or 31 trains to Secaucus and Hoboken on the Main and Bergen County Lines before noon.
Last edited by BrownstoneNY; 01-29-2014 at 01:40 PM..
Metrolink is a total joke. ... 7 trains ... on the Orange County Line ... 10 ... on the San Bernardino Line.
I wouldn't call it a joke. Suffice it to say, that service is extremely limited, compared with NJT. I rode the Orange County Line years ago. It was slow, but pleasant, when compared with OC & LA rush hour traffic. Orange County Line schedule currently shows 8 morning inbound trains to LA.
Last edited by bigjake54; 01-29-2014 at 02:01 PM..
I like the old trains better. Soft, adjustable seats. Only problem is getting stuck in the middle on the 3-seater. The conductors like the old trains more, as well. The double-deckers are tough on their knees.
not bad. i figured it was high 90s! I like the old trains for the reasons you describe, but i like the new ones too. i hated getting stuck in the middle!
I wouldn't call it a joke. Suffice it to say, that service is extremely limited, compared with NJT. I rode the Orange County Line years ago. It was slow, but pleasant, when compared with OC & LA rush hour traffic. Orange County schedule looks like 9 morning inbound trains currently, although some are truncated.
it's a start, no doubt. problem is a lot of people love their cars, so it's a dance deciding how many trains to add.
I like the old trains better. Soft, adjustable seats. Only problem is getting stuck in the middle on the 3-seater. The conductors like the old trains more, as well. The double-deckers are tough on their knees.
Yeah, but what is the on-time rate for trains arriving in Penn Station during rush hour?
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