Route 78 Lakeland bus - Summer of Hell (Hoboken, Berkeley Heights: how much, home)

[bkfood]

Has anyone west of summit taken the Route 78 bus since the summer of hell began earlier this week? If so, can you please share your experience? I'm usually a train rider into Midtown but have a flexible gig so don't go in often.

[bkfood]

Bump... nobody takes the route 78 Lakeland bus? How are people that take the Gladstone branch getting to midtown? Train to Hoboken and path to 33rd?

[Blackjack2000]

Originally Posted by bkfood

Bump... nobody takes the route 78 Lakeland bus? How are people that take the Gladstone branch getting to midtown? Train to Hoboken and path to 33rd?

Yes. I tried to take the 31 bus after the crash at Hoboken Terminal last year. It was fine except that the but driver would frequently pretend not to see me at the stop and just drive right past.


I told myself I'd never take the bus again if I could avoid it.

[swilliamsny]

My husband does. He takes the 6am in the morning and hasn't had any trouble. The ride home is a different story. He usually takes the 5:30, but it's been so crowded. He tried leaving work a bit early so he could take the 5:00, but he says it hasn't been leaving much earlier than the later bus, so he's not saving any time, and he says it's just as crowded.

Plus, Lakeland just raised their fares.

[bkfood]

Thanks for the responses.

Blackjack: I'm not really a bus person. I get a bit sick on buses. However, seems that taking a bus in this situation could be significantly faster than the train. Obviously the traffic is a huge wildcard.

Swilliams: Does the 5 or 5:30 reach fully capacity and thus entrance to the bus is denied? How much traffic does the bus encounter during those times? The timetables doesnt seem accurate. For example it takes 50 minutes to get to Berkeley Heights. Without traffic the fastest I can make it is in ~40-45 mins.

[swilliamsny]

The early morning bus can make it in just under an hour. Not the 5 or 5:30. The very best it ever does is an hour, but it's usually 65-70 minutes. A handful of times since he's been taking it (2 years now) it's been close to 90 minutes, and there's been one break-down where the passengers had to wait on the side of 78 for another bus. If he stays in the city later, the 7:00 bus is usually just under the hour mark.

He hasn't ever been unable to get on the bus, but he says it's been standing room only for a lot of people lately. Depends where you are in the line. If you arrive just a couple minutes before the bus leaves Port Authority, you'll likely be standing.

[Blackjack2000]

Originally Posted by bkfood

Blackjack: I'm not really a bus person. I get a bit sick on buses. However, seems that taking a bus in this situation could be significantly faster than the train. Obviously the traffic is a huge wildcard.

I'd absolutely give it a shot. I was just venting some frustration. Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the Lakeland bus.

[bkfood]

Thanks for the responses. I'm the type of person that arrives 30 seconds before the departure time. I'm sure I'll be standing. Most importantly, I don't want to be turned away. Thanks for calming my fears. Will try the bus in the upcoming weeks.