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So my job is temporarily going to require me to commute to manhattan for about 3 months or so from the Bridgwater/Somerville area. Can someone tell me about the best/efficient/cheapest options to actually do this. So far, I've been looking at getting a train from say Somerville on the Raritan line and then either switching at Newark [unless it's one of the one-seat rides straight into Penn Station] or then driving to Edison/New Brunswick and then taking the Northeast Corridor straight to Penn or also maybe driving to Newark and then using the PATH. Somebody had also recommended looking at buses either NJ Transit or private companies that have service into Manhattan. I was wondering if anyone could give me some more detail about all these different options or if somebody had actually done something similar ie commute from Bridgewater/Somerville/Branchburg/Hillsborough into NYC on a regular basis.
Downtown: Raritan Line to Newark and then PATH
Midtown: Raritan line to Newark and then any other line to NYPENN
Driving to Edison and taking NE Corridor will be cheaper but good luck driving down 287 in the morning.
If you want peace of mind, the Raritan line is your best and only bet. Cheaper options will only add time and stress to your commute - which aren't really worth it.
Those and bus options. The Raritan line is comfy but the schedules are bad compared to NE Corridor trains. If you can get to one of the express trains on the NE Corridor that would be the fastest into Manhattan.
Downtown: Raritan Line to Newark and then PATH
Midtown: Raritan line to Newark and then any other line to NYPENN
Driving to Edison and taking NE Corridor will be cheaper but good luck driving down 287 in the morning.
If you want peace of mind, the Raritan line is your best and only bet. Cheaper options will only add time and stress to your commute - which aren't really worth it.
Thanks for the response! The Raritan line is definitely my best bet and my destination is not much of a walk from the WTC PATH station, so that is a good option. The only other question I have for you, is what if I were to try to drive to Newark Penn from where I'm located (this would probably be on 78-E or 287S/I-95 N ) during peak rush hour. In your experience is this actually doable on a daily basis and is the $11 that would be saved actually worth it or would traffic just be a real killer.
Thanks for the response! The Raritan line is definitely my best bet and my destination is not much of a walk from the WTC PATH station, so that is a good option. The only other question I have for you, is what if I were to try to drive to Newark Penn from where I'm located (this would probably be on 78-E or 287S/I-95 N ) during peak rush hour. In your experience is this actually doable on a daily basis and is the $11 that would be saved actually worth it or would traffic just be a real killer.
Thanks again!
I don't see the saving there when parking rates are $8 - 25 to park and $2-3 toll into Newark and the traffic just from the exit into Newark consumes another 20-30mins anywhere from South + West. Your best bet is finding a station that has ample parking or free parking. On bad days, the commute getting into Newark is horrendous at best.
For the RVL Train, I think you will need to get a parking permit. You would also need one if you drove to Newark. You should also be aware that you can buy monthly, weekly or 10 day passes to reduce your ticket cost. You can download an app for your smartphone at NJtransit.com and look for the MYtix option.
I don't see the saving there when parking rates are $8 - 25 to park and $2-3 toll into Newark and the traffic just from the exit into Newark consumes another 20-30mins anywhere from South + West. Your best bet is finding a station that has ample parking or free parking. On bad days, the commute getting into Newark is horrendous at best.
Aah gotcha, yup that definitely makes sense. Somerville makes the sense for me, at least for now, given the amount of parking along with reasonably convenient street parking as well and the daily parking isnt too bad either at $3.
It's a good thing you only have to do this for 3 months. That commute is hell. I used to work in NYC and we got a new hire that was commuting by train from Hillsborough. She quit after a week because she couldn't deal with the 90 minute train ride every day.
Drive to Harrison Station (PATH). Park there and take the PATH to WTC. If you leave before 7 you should be ok, some traffic, but guaranteed faster than train. Uncle of mine drove to Harrison from Basking Ridge for many years. He was in early (probably left around 6:30), but never complained too too much. Parking tends to be a bit better at Harrison too than Newark.
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