CHEAPEST option to NYC - Madison Ave (Newark, Harrison: house, buy)

[machellesims]

Can anyone suggest the best way for me to get from Flemington (central) to NYC? I will be working in city for about 3 weeks. I have a car and need to park all day. Should I drive to a Path Station? Or take NJ transit from Whitehouse Station? I am looking for the cheapest option under 2 hours, this will include my gas costs as well. Thanks!!

[nybbler]

Driving to PATH in Harrison will cost you $10 to park, plus $3.50 for PATH, plus car expenses (50 miles), plus a subway ride if you're not working within walking distance.

It appears there's a bus run by trans-bridge Trans-Bridge Lines, $40 plus $4.50 subway from Port Authority, round trip. It goes down to $26.75 for the bus part if you get a commuter book.

NJT from White House is $29.50, plus $4.50 subway from Penn Station, plus car expenses, but parking is free (though I have no idea if it is available). Slightly cheaper for a weekly pass.

I don't know what your car expenses are but I suspect these options are all fairly similar, with PATH having an edge. You can bring it down a bit more by going to a cheaper lot in Harrison; the $10 is for 12 hours in the garage next to the station, but there are cheaper lots around.

Whether you can actually do it in under 2 hours is another question.

[checkmatechamp13]

Harrison is about 50 miles away, which is about $20 worth of gas. Add in variable maintainance, the $10 parking fee, and $2.60 PATH fare and you're up to around $40 per day, or $200 per week.

If you're traveling for 3 weeks, you can buy a weekly NJT pass to Newark for $90.50 (see here: http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/R0060.pdf) Add in about $30 per week in gas to get to the station, and $13 per week for the PATH, and your weekly costs are around $140.

So it looks like transit wins out cost-wise (especially if you work weekends, since the additional costs are marginal). Just keep in mind that train service west of Raritan is limited.

Here are the PATH fares: Fares - PATH - The Port Authority of NY & NJ If you plan to work weekends, buy the monthly pass (it is 3 times the price of the weekly pass, so you get an extra week free). If not, buy a 10-trip card for $13 every week.

[openheads]

Originally Posted by machellesims

I am looking for the cheapest option under 2 hours

Yuck....................................... Try LI or upstate.