Question about commuter busses (West Orange, Orange: houses, schools, taxes)

[trombonemann1]

Hey everyone,

So I posted awhile back looking for suggestions for communities off of train lines, and got some great responses. We have started to glance about online at what is available in our price range off of trains, and there isn't a lot. My wife's main concern with being off a train (rather than a bus) is bathroom access - she has had some issues and is always a little concerned now.

So, my question is, do NJ commuter busses all have bathrooms? If not all of them, then can some of you chime in with which companies/lines you know to have them? That would be extremely helpful in our search, as it could open up other towns.

Thanks so much!

[DarkWolf]

No buses have bathrooms except the ones that connect the large cities like Megabus & Greyhound. All trains except Urban Rail have bathrooms..... Moist NJ towns are served by Rail and Bus as the case with my town , maybe you can take the bus and your wife can take the train.

[brokenaperture]

Actually there are some models of NJ Transit's buses that do have bathrooms. When I took the 158 in the mornings, that bus had bathrooms. Currently the MCI D4000, D4500, and D4500CL are all equipped with bathrooms. Whether or not you'd actually want to use them is another story

[trombonemann1]

Thanks for the replies. What about private companies? I know there is a company connecting West Orange and the Port Authority that is run privately...

[brokenaperture]

Those I'm not too sure of, have only utilized NJ Transit. I think it all runs down to the model of the bus. I think DeCamp is one that runs from WO to PABT, check out their site: Bus Transportation | NYC Commuter & Charter Bus NY, NJ, CT & PA

Coach USA might also run buses to/from there as well, not sure though. We've got a NJ bus guru on the board though who will be able to give ya much more detailed info.

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by trombonemann1

Thanks for the replies. What about private companies? I know there is a company connecting West Orange and the Port Authority that is run privately...

Its more likely unless ur an extreme commuter good luck getting a restroom where do u want to leave from?? By the way NJT rail passes work on all NJT buses. The counties with the most are bergen, union and morris in terms of bus to NYC

[trombonemann1]

Not sure where we'd be leaving from. The goal for my wife's commute (she'd be coming in daily) is an hour door to door. She works in midtown on 6th ave and 48th street. We figure 30 - 40 minutes via train would do it, but there is not a lot of houses available in our price range. She has a health issue, so having access to a bathroom will be necessary if she is going to be on a bus for around 40 minutes.

If you know of some communities that might fit, here are our necessaries and our wants:

Necessary:
House - 2 bed, 1 bath, small lot/house ok, $275k max (we can stretch to $300k depending on the taxes)
Walking distance to station (bus stop or train)
1 hr door to door to 6th and w. 48th in manhattan

Wants (we can give these up as necessary, depending on what options it opens up):
walkable downtown (hopefully walking distance to our house)
artsy (I'm a musician)
ok schools

We have leads on some communities we are checking out on the trains, but if there are communities that would work with a bus with a bathroom, I'd love to add them to the list.

Thanks for all of your help!

[brokenaperture]

Have you looked into towns like Rutherford/East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Garfield or such? They are affordable towns with train stations. The thing with the buses and bathroom is it's not guaranteed that the specific model will be running that route at that time.

[trombonemann1]

We are definitely considering those towns, but I thought if the busses work out then it might open a few more options. Didn't think they might switch the models around.

[Ann77]

I would stick with the trains if I were her. I just wouldn't trust any commuter bus company to always have the bathroom available.