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My husband and I will be taking the bus into Port Authority to commute from the Scotch Plains area. My husband works in Midtown by Grand Central. He plans to take a 810-820 bus to arrive at PA at 910-920. Doesnt anyone know how the traffic is during that time into the city? Are busses usually delayed more than 5 minutes. Also, does anyone take the shuttle from PA to Grand Central? Just wondering how easy it is to get the the shuttle to go across town.
The later you get in the morning (i.e., any time after 7:15ish), definitely the more delays he will hit. The problem is the Lincoln Tunnel and the congestion - although, he will be able to enjoy the dedicated bus lines, you still face delays. This is not to say that it will be a daily experience, but unfortunately more often than not - it gets very congested. During the timeframe he is looking at, expect to add another 15 mins (on average) to the time indicated on the official schedule (sometimes he will make better time - other times signficantly longer - this is not accounting for significant storms and other issues that add delays for everyone).
Once he gets to PANYNJ, his best bet is to catch the 7 train to Grand Central. I would estimate from the time he gets off the bus to the time he steps off to Grand Central, it is about 15-20 mins. There is almost always a train waiting to leave (since its the first and last stop) and its only two stops to Grand Central. It takes more time to walk to and from the train than the actual train ride.
I don't know about the bus ride for you from Scotch Plains to PA, but I can talk about the shuttle ride from PA to Grand Central.
It's not necessarily difficult to catch the shuttle, but I always thought it was easier (and cheaper) just to walk to Grand Central. I could make it on foot in 20-25 minutes.
The shuttle ride itself is less than 5 minutes. But when you're talking about walking from the bus gate, down/up escalators/staircases and through a maze, weaving in and around people, slowing down at the turnstile bottleneck, and then waiting on the platform for the shuttle to show up, and then once you're out at Grand Central, walking through the maze of Grand Central to an exit to the streets...you're really talking more of a 15-20 minute shuttle journey.
If you are tall (i.e., have a long stride) and walk fast, you can walk to Grand Central from PA in the same amount of time. And save yourself $2.25 a day in subway fare (or $4.50 a day, round trip). If you walk each way instead of taking the shuttle on a daily basis, you save $1,000 a year in commuting costs ($4.50 a day means $22.50 a week, which means $90 a month, which means $1,080 a year). Plus, you don't have to be sausage-sealed into a metal box with a bunch of strangers.
The later you get in the morning (i.e., any time after 7:15ish), definitely the more delays he will hit.
I guess we thought that since he would be coming in after 9, it wouldnt be as bad since the busiest time for rush hour is 7-9. I guess that is not the case?
I guess we thought that since he would be coming in after 9, it wouldnt be as bad since the busiest time for rush hour is 7-9. I guess that is not the case?
Unfortunately not, and Port Authority is one of the most abysmal places on earth to be at that time. And to echo others, you're better off with the 7 than the S. You need to walk underground from 8th Ave to 7th, up and then down some staircases to get the shuttle. The 7's still a walk underground but closer to 8th Ave and ALWAYS a train there about to leave. The 7 at rush hour is the most frequent train in the system.
@nyc1216: Unfortunately, no. It is the opposite. He would be better off trying to catch the earlier bus (ideally between 6:30 - 7am - obviously anything earlier will get him there even faster). Not only will he get there on the timed schedule (especially because there are not as many people getting picked up between your pick-up and the time the bus gets on GSP so you save time there), but he will avoid the crowds on the train that Seque5tra mentioned. Its amazing how bad the train crowds are between 8:30 - 9:30am. If you can land in PANYNJ closer to 8am you save alot of headaches and frustrations.
I also second the idea of walking across town - it is only a few avenues over - and good exercise during the warmer months. He will just have to find the right route across town (can give you more details on that route if interested - done it many times) to avoid the crowds.
My husband and I will be taking the bus into Port Authority to commute from the Scotch Plains area. My husband works in Midtown by Grand Central. He plans to take a 810-820 bus to arrive at PA at 910-920. Doesnt anyone know how the traffic is during that time into the city? Are busses usually delayed more than 5 minutes. Also, does anyone take the shuttle from PA to Grand Central? Just wondering how easy it is to get the the shuttle to go across town.
you mean the shuttle train err it's called the S and is very easy to use stupidly easy. IN-bound buses have HOV immunity. take the train back to cut travel time. So get an NJT rail pass as it works on buses to NY and trains out of NY. Try and get the 113 X to save time.
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