Commuting from Scranton to New York City (Columbia, Middletown: real estate, 2014) - Northeastern Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania (PA) -Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pocono area - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

laflin2007 · 11-18-2007, 12:56 AM

You said you could handle a commute of two hours each way; three hours or more each way during peak periods (5-10 a.m., 3-7 p.m.) is what you should expect. I lived in Scranton for years and have driven to New York City at all hours of the day and night. Never, not once, did I make it doorstep to doorstep in two hours. And I'm a leadfoot.

The poster who insisted the train "WILL be a reality" Will. Not. Happen. At least not anytime in the next 10 years. The right-of-way already exists, but the cost of rehabbing the line is exorbitant. New Jersey Transit wears the pants in this project, and that agency is putting all it's muscle into getting funding for an additional Hudson River rail tunnel. You can guess how many people would be served by that. Conversely, studies show that 40 people a day would ride the train from Scranton, and that the service would never come close to paying for itself.

Realtors and homebuilders con NYC emigres all the time with sweet talk about the train coming soon -- how do you think all those poor suckers ended up in the Poconos?

A realistic story by Roger DuPuis II of Scranton's Times-Tribune earlier this year:
The Times-Tribune - Train stop for city gets boost (http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17725120&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id =590572&rfi=8 - broken link)

You didn't write what your living situation is now; whether you're married, have kids, are currently in the city, or what. My advice: if you're single, do like everyone else there and bunk up with roommates. And if you're married and trying to raise your family in Scranton or someplace, put your family there but stay in the city during the week. I knew a guy who did this, splitting a tiny room in the city during the week with some other guys he knew but then going home to NEPA on the weekends, where he had a nice house and yard for his kids. It's not glamorous living, but it beats 30 hours a week in the car.

mathjak107 · 11-18-2007, 03:03 AM

takes us traveling from queens ny to lake wallenpaupack traveling at 4:00am 2 hours and scranton is at least a 1/2 hour from us. thats the best possible breeze right thru times. anyother time usually adds another 1/2 to 1 hour to our trip

BLUEDIAMOND64 · 11-18-2007, 09:23 AM

Math,
You are traveling at a time where there is not much traffic on the road except for the trucks, right? Also, you are not a full time commuter where you need to commute to work from the Lake. Anyone that does this on a full time basis spend the majority of their day commuting, working and sleeping. Most people have a tough time to NY from the Milford area, I can not imagine a commute from Scranton especially since the 1-81 and I-84 corridor gets really bad in inclement weather.

Hats

mathjak107 · 11-18-2007, 09:33 AM

i agree. doing it once a week is enough for me.... i couldnt imagine doing it daily in traffic

BLUEDIAMOND64 · 11-18-2007, 09:37 AM

Hi Math,
I travel up to the U once a week and I need plenty of coffee for that ride! Yikes, traveling is tough especially when mother nature comes into play. Have a great day Math!
The Hat

UrbanQuest · 11-18-2007, 01:31 PM

Wow, they say the commute from the Stroudsburg area is a gruelling existance, I can't imagine from Scranton. I bet that commuter train proposal(Lackawanna cuttoff) will probably end at Stroudsburg in a first phase before going all the way to Scranton.

lantana19 · 06-13-2008, 10:24 AM

My husband might have a chance to take a job around the Stillwater PA area and I would need to commute to NYC to have any chance of working within my field. What would be the best option for doing this or can this even be feasibly done?

SteelCityRising · 06-13-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lantana19

My husband might have a chance to take a job around the Stillwater PA area and I would need to commute to NYC to have any chance of working within my field. What would be the best option for doing this or can this even be feasibly done?

Are you sure you don't mean Swiftwater? Stillwater is a little podunk village out near Benton in Columbia County whereas Swiftwater is in the Poconos and is home to Sanofi-Pasteur Pharmaceuticals (a major employer here).

A lot of people do commute from that part of Monroe County to NYC everyday via the MARTZ bus---so many as a matter of fact that commuter parking lots are often past capacity and the state is now being urged to build parking garages for commuters. Expect a very long day, but yes, this is possible. If you really did mean "Stillwater," then no, that's not possible.

I think your best option might be someplace like Hackettstown, NJ, where you and your husband would be roughly midway from each of your potential job sites.

KositaQ · 01-24-2009, 03:57 PM

I have travelled from my warm home on Lake Ariel to Port Jervis to take that train for more than eight years to go to NYC to work EVERY DAY and I hate it!! ONE-WAY 4-hr commute EVERY DAY - EACH WAY!!! (arggh!!)

Now that the monthly fare will be raised in June 2009 from $344 to $426, I think I am better off taking the bus. Or maybe I will rent a buggy (hahahaha LOL!!) just kidding...

People who ride this Metro North train are rude, loud, boisterous and mostly from upstate NY state. The conductors all live in the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area and do not care what happens on the trains. The cars are dirty, the people eat and drink alcohol and leave their crap all over the place!!!

The thought of having these people have easy access to Scranton and NEPA and to move here just because there will be new train rails and stations and routes would probably over populate this somewhat tranquil area, tranquil and peaceful by comparison as compared to 'Zoo Yawk'.

Go ahead...Take your pick and good luck commuting. I may be considering a good job around here, it is not worth the aggravation. I would rather use those $426 for something more useful like getting a closer and better job...or maybe I will telecommute...(medical transcription, anyone? or perhaps nursing? these jobs are in BIG demand!!)

Just my two cents...

agamid · 01-25-2009, 11:02 AM

For everyone waiting for the commuter train to show up and fix these issues laflin2007 is right, it is never going to happen. I grew up in Stroudsburg, in the almost 20 years I lived there people were always talking about "the train is coming the train is coming" and they had been for 20 years before that. They'll put that commuter train in just in time for your grand kids to laugh at it while they use their flying cars to go to work.