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Hello. I wanted to ask how the monthly pass worked for buses. If I buy a monthly can I only use it for the bus route or zone that I use for work? Will I have to spend extra if I want to go elsewhere (to another zone for the weekend)?
Also, I'm curious if the bus driver takes cash and whether you have to have exact change?
You travel to as many zones as you pay for on your monthly bus pass. If you board the bus and tell the driver where you are going, I'm sure you can just pay the difference if you are going farther than your pass allows.
Bus drivers DO take cash, they appreciate exact change as MOST of the time they don't have adequate change to give you.
It is also handy for other things like Light Rail. A 1 zone (in Hoboken) can let you ride the Light Rail for free.
Bus drivers take cash. There are 4 bus types though. The oldest only take exact change (no change back) and they do not have a bill feeder that recognises $5 or up. The short-round busses are the same I think.
The more modern busses, like tour busses, give change by hand.
The NEW new busses, that look almost like airport shuttles (they are UGLY!) I have not memorized yet! (I have only ridden twice on them. With a pass, you don't really pay attension to the cash option).
Yes try to carry exact change even though I've never had issues with a bus driver not having exact change. Also if you leave from the NY Port Authority to NJ, make sure you get your ticket BEFORE you board the bus. If you are going someplace farther than your monthly zone ticket, tell the bus driver and he'll calculate the difference...its like $1.25 more between each zone you pass through roughly.
Heh. I had problems with putting a $5 into the bill thing and it accepting it as $1. I was paying for 2 people to NYC ($5 and a dime). I have also had, on th eolder busses, drivers tell me they cannot make change.
Wait one more question... you can use the bus pass on light rail? What about NJ transit trains and the path? Can you use it on those w/i zone limits and or pay extra if you go beyond your zone?
Wait one more question... you can use the bus pass on light rail? What about NJ transit trains and the path? Can you use it on those w/i zone limits and or pay extra if you go beyond your zone?
I think train passes can be used on busses but bus passes can't be used on trains. If this is wrong, someone please correct me. I'm curious myself.
PATH is the SmartCard and NJT is a seperate thing altogether.
In addition to the SmartCard, you can also use a NY MetroCard on PATH but not on NJ transit buses. So if you are traveling exclusively on PATH and/or the NYC subway, the MetroCard can be used on both.
The same is not true for the SmartCard -- you cannot use a SmartCard on the NYC subway.
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(I have only ridden twice on them. With a pass, you don't really pay attension to the cash option).
