Just an FYI for midtown NYC commuters from Wesmont Station. I compiled these tips for a neighbor, thought I would share with others. Once Wesmont station is running, just replace the W-R station with Wesmont and the PVL with the Bergen County line. For NYC downtown commuters, just take the NJT to Hoboken instead of NYP and the PATH to WTC instead of Herald Sq.
Please note that I am biased in that I in general dislike the bus [except when I text the bus so I don't have to wait for it and it gets me to NYC in 30 minutes in the afternoon after rush hour
] and am more time than cost-sensitive.
1. Sign up for 163/164 bus and Pascack Valley Line train alerts
https://www.njtransit.com/mt/mt_serv...on=MyTransitTo
2. Sign up for Port Authority Bus Terminal / Lincoln Tunnel / PATH train alerts
Port Authority Alerts & Advisories
3. If you have an iPhone, download Embark NJ and Embark NYC apps. The NJ app is especially good for train schedules.
4. bookmark njtransit.com on your phone
5. bookmark dv.njtransit.com/mobile/tid-mobile.aspx?sid=WR on your phone. Check this religiously when taking the train.
6. In the morning is when there are the most bus / tunnel problems into NYC: disabled vehicle in the LT, accident on route 3 or 495, emergency bridge repairs on route 3, fire in the LT, etc. Check Google Maps for Wesmont Station to PABT ETA before getting on the bus. If there are problems, take an Uber to W-R train station (~$7) and do the Secaucus Jxn transfer to NYP.
7. In the evening the bus is pretty good out of PABT and runs a lot more than the train, especially after rush hour 7 PM or later.
8. If there are problems with both the LT and trains going into NYP, take the W-R train to Hoboken, transfer to the PATH, and take the PATH into Herald Sq.
9. If you are in a rush, taking an Uber to Secaucus Jxn (~$25) and then a train into NYP is also an option. This is also a good option for coming home if there are problems with the LT.
10. If you can, use your wageworks card to stock up on NJT tickets before they raise prices by 9% 10/1/15.
11. We don't use a NJT monthly pass for anything b/c you don't save that much with the train, and with the bus, there is a discount with buying 10 tickets at a time. We prefer to pay a little more for optionality (though we probably actually save money with the irregular commuting mix of bus, train, PATH, driving, and Uber).
12. If you like the train, consider getting a second car just for commuting. parking is only $3/day at W-R, and even when Wesmont Station is up, it will be a good 10 min walk from where u live.
13. In general, don't recommend driving and parking at Secaucus Jxn. The lot is very expensive and a good walk to the station (it's a private lot, and Secaucus Jxn was not originally intended to be a commuter station), and driving to Secaucus Jxn in the morning one will often hit the same Route 3 traffic that the bus runs into.
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