Commuting from Livingston to Nyc by PATH (Newark, Harrison: home, transfer)

[njwho]

I was told, one of the options in Livingston to commute to midtown nyc is to drive to Harrison to take the PATH train. Can anyone tell me how long does this commute take ? How's the traffic in I-280 ? How's the parking in Harrison ? Is this a painless or painfull commute ?

[johnnypockets]

I used to take the Path for a few years. The ride from Livingston down 280 usually averaged 15-20 minutes to harrison. Once you get to harrison It is just a block or two to Frank E rodgers Blvd where the path station is. I never had a problem finding parking on the side roads off Frank E Rodgers. Path ride averaged between 30-40 minutes to get to 22nd or 33rd.

[Docendo discimus]

I did both the PATH commute and the #77 bus commute from Livingston for years. Any particular reason you're leaning against the #77? Just curious.

For a long time, I chose the PATH commute because it was cheaper than the bus. Some time in about 2007 or 2008, the bus actually became a little cheaper. The bus fare comes out to about $14 a day (that's total, roundtrip) if you buy tickets in bulk.

Well, the PATH ends up being just the same, if not more: $2.60 roundtrip PATH fare (assuming you buy rides in bulk) + $6 parking (assuming you're willing to park in the CHEAPEST, farthest away lot) + $5 for gasoline (if gas prices go up, that'll be more) = you're already at $13.60, best possible case scenario. But if you park at a $7 or $8 lot, gas prices go up and you also have to take a subway...that figure ends up being more, obviously. And we haven't even factored in the wear and tear to your car (and psyche).

Johnnypocket's time estimations are pretty accurate. The time spent on 280 might be more like 20-25 minutes...depends on the day, the season, the traffic. It only really gets hairy on 280 by Exit 13...you know where the 3 left lanes turn into exit only lanes that dump into Newark, so you get 5 lanes of cars cramming into the 2 right lanes. Oh, and of course it can get hairy by the Stickel Bridge of Pain.

The ADVANTAGE of taking the PATH from Harrison is that you have more control and more choices in your journey....like Choose Your Own Adventure. You control how fast you speed down 280. You can take the PATH to WTC and take a subway to midtown. Or, you can take the PATH to Christopher St., or 9th St., or 14th., or 23rd St., or 33rd St. and take a subway or walk or take a cab or take a bus. You can mold your commute according to the specific peculiarities or snafus of that day.

The DISADVANTAGE of taking the PATH from Harrison is that when the train pulls into Harrison station it is JAM PACKED because Newark, which is the stop right before Harrison, is a terminal station and a major loading dock. There will be times that you'll have to let that first train go and wait for the next one. (I'm assuming you'll be riding for a normal 8-5 or 9-5 kind of job, i.e. peak commuting time.)

The #77 bus is much cleaner, more civilized, more peaceful and more comfortable than the PATH. With the #77 bus, you have a 99.99% chance of sitting in a cushiony seat. On the PATH train, you have a 99.99% chance of standing waaaaaay too close to a bunch of strangers (close enough to know what brand of deoderant, toothpaste, mouth wash and after shave they used that morning...and you'll be lucky if they did), and only a 0.01% chance of sitting...in a hard plastic seat...that has coffee stains and thigh sweat residue.

There's a lot less 'work' with the #77. You only have to worry about getting to the bus stop, and then you can zone out and leave the driving to the driver...and they are trained to push through and weave around traffic. If there is an accident, they know how to get around it.

With the PATH, it's like, ya gotta drive to the station, pay for parking, park, run to the platform, navigate your way through a sea of people onto a train, transfer trains, step aside everytime the train stops and let's people on/off. You're kind of 'working' for the entire commute. But, like I said, you might like that better than leaving your entire fate with the bus driver (and some of them, by the way, are real a-holes). Oh, plus, the #77 bus doesn't run as often as the PATH...it's less flexible, schedule wise.

I used to work across the street from Grand Central Station. Total commute time for me from Livingston was approximately 90 minutes for both the #77 bus and the PATH. Not sure where YOU will be working in midtown (east side, west side, 20s, 40s?). If you work in the 20s, the PATH would be faster than the #77.

[marsilni]

I've been commuting to Lower Manhattan this summer from East Hanover by taking the PATH in Harrison. It doesn't take long at all to get to the station, maybe 20 minutes; I never hit traffic on 280 east. I used the lot right across the street @ $7 per day. I should note that I work in finance, so I start my day pretty early, usually get to work around 7:30ish, which means I would normally catch the train between 6:45-7 and then have to walk from the WTC station to my office. If you catch the train at that time, it is not packed at all. After 7am, it can get very tight. If you catch the train home from WTC between 5-6, it is also very tight. However, if you catch it at 6:30 or later, it's not bad at all. The same is true for the traffic on 280 west for my commute home.

[njwho]

Thanks for the response.
Preference for PATH is mainly due to flexibility in schedule because my evening times are late and unpredictable.
Though I agree #77 commute does sound more hassle free specially since it involves no transfers. I work in 40s so I could just walk from the bus terminal to office.
But what about its commute time ? I read in a different thread that its commute time can be unpredictable because of traffic in Lincoln tunnel ?

[DrEricL]

Does anyone know how the commute from Livingston to NY is now with the construction by the Harrison station?? Does anyone do this commute? I am curious as to how the traffuc and parking is in Harrison.