| Author |
Message |
    
Paul Haley
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 12:53 pm: | 
|
Who do we need to talk to about adjusting the Jitney bus schedules since winter is now among us? This morning was the third straight morning that everyone on my bus (first bus on Hilton route) made a mad dash to catch the train (and thankfully for some sympathetic train conductors, we made it-barely). While trying not to sound too sarcastic, would it be so much ask that the drivers start a couple minutes earlier to avoid these mad rushes...? |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6757
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 12, 2005 - 7:50 pm: |
|
Since there is only jitney per route and since a single jitney may connect with more than one train, it is entirely likely that some connections may be easier to make than others. Adjusting the schedule to accomodate one train could cause hardships throughout the rest of the day for other passengers. Even PATH refuses to guarantee connections if there is less than seven minutes between PATH arrival time and departure of the next NJT train on your route. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 9942
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 10:51 am: |
|
Joan, Paul is talking about the first jitney of the morning. Leaving five minutes earlier wouldn't upset the schedule for the rest of the day.
Still a bunch of people would be upset because they had to shag it out of the house a couple of minutes earlier to catch the jitney.  |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 5
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 1:53 pm: |
|
Thanks Bob, actually peopel can leave the house at the same time. All I am asking is that the bus driver show up 5 minutes earlier to warm up his bus on cold mornings....it is only commone sense and keep alot of people happy! |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 421
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 9:37 pm: |
|
Are you saying that the driver is late? Or did NJT change the train schedule? If it is because the driver is late then I suggest you call Gary Lenci @973-762-1175. I will also mention it to him in the a.m.
Eric |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 11:20 am: |
|
Hi EB-well both actually....the driver just needs to get to work 5 minutes earlier on cold days to wamr the bus up-that's all....a change in the jitney schedule should be implmenetd since a there is a change in the NJT schedule....thanks for your help! |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 1040
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 1:11 pm: |
|
It would also be great if the jitney drivers had copies of the schedule. I had to switch to an earlier train for work, but had no clue when the earlier jitney was. The two times I asked for a printed schedule the jitney driver sked me what time my train arrives so he could tell me what time the jitney would arrive. When pressed for a printed schedule he said that the concierge sometimes have them. I told him that they didn't have a recent one. And he was like, "oh fine, I'll try to remember to photocopy some". He never did to the best of my knowledge. Maybe the third time will be a charm...although I doubt it.
You know this wouldn't be a problem if the town website just listed it. |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 8
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 9:03 am: |
|
But AlleyGater, these jitney drivers are not providing you a service, they are doing you a favor, remember?
/sarcasm off... |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 3372
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 1:37 pm: |
|
Maybe those who ride the jitney could ask if he minded showing up a few minutes earlier to to give the heart time to warm it up? When you think of it, the driver's are just as cold. It might come down to money though. Perhaps the fee per ride could go up 25 cents in the winter. That should be more then enough to pay the driver for those extra few minutes.
If someone has a recent schedule, maybe they could scan it and upload it here. It stinks the drivers don't have any, but it might be a way for them to keep the costs down. Another, but not very popular thought, maybe they could sell the shcedulws if cost is a factor, to cover the printing costs? |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 10
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 5:43 pm: |
|
Just The Aunt,
Thank you for your input and while I don't want to make this a long drawnout discussion over such a minor issue, I have to add another two cents...
I nor any other jitney rider should not have to ask the driver to show up 5 minutes earlier to warm up the buses. It is he and his superiors that should take this initiative, without being prompted. However grateful for I am for the jitney service, please remember they are not doing us a favor, the jitney is a paid service. Like all service related businesses, the jitney's goal is to provide the best customer service possible, which means getting its riders to the train on time, not too much of a difficult task if you ask me. If it means getting to work 5-10 minutes earlier to do so then so be it...again if jitney management feels it necessary to pay them for the extra 1/2 hour a week then, yet again, so be it....it is not up to me or any other rider and nor should we have to pay for it...geez, I don't think I am asking for much here...besides, the njt changed their schedules (trains are actually leaving earlier)so isn't commone sense that the jitney follows suit?...what is the point of jitney service if they miss the train?
Thanks for lsitening!  |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6786
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 7:19 pm: |
|
1. The jitney and NJT are run by separate entities and strange as this may sound, someone has to tell the jitney people that the train schedule has been changed. Eric, who works for DPW, which runs the jitney service has agreed to do this.
2. NJT has been coming out with very frequent schedule changes of late and this is more often than not the norm. When the average departure in the morning is moved up from five to ten minutes for each departure (as was the case with the last schedule change) but the afternoon arrivals remain unchanged, this causes a problem because a longer work day is needed to meet the service levels and expectations which existed under the prior schedule.
I am sure DPW is doing the best they can but they also have to honor the contractual agreement they have with the jitney drivewrs, who receive a very low level of compensation and may not be willing to volunteer their services for an extra 5 minutes a day. |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 11
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 7:37 pm: |
|
Thanks Joan,
Isn't it the responsibility of the DPW to stay on top of these schedule changes, especially since the service they provide revolves around such? I apologize if they jitney drivers are paid peanuts but if asking for 5 minutes a morning so EVERYONE's schedule isn't negatively impacted (especially the drivers-how would it look performance review time when they miss the train consistently?)is too much to ask for then I must be incredibly naieve...maybe our guru on mountain Eric has an opinion on this matter? |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6792
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005 - 8:38 pm: |
|
Actually, it is the responsibility of the DPW to keep to the schedule they have set. Ideally, this schedule should enable to town to serve as many riders as possible by connecting with as many trains as they can but there are plenty of people (me included) whose morning train has always departed too early in the morning for a jitney connection and/or whose returning train in the evening (like mine) falls outside of the current jitney schedule.
At the present time the town is heavily subsidizing the jitney service and as such cannot afford to expand this service without raising fares, possibly substantially.
I really hope the DPW will be able to make an adjust so you have a more reliable morning connection but please don't consider this to be an entitlement, because it is not. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 426
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 12:46 pm: |
|
The DPW does make the Jitney schedule, and we try to make it work for as many trains as possible. We have asked NJT to notify us of any schedule changes so we can adjust our schedule as needed. NJT never notifies us, usually the drivers will tell us when changes are needed. If the NJT change can be met with the current schedule we do not make a change.
I spoke with Gary Lenci last week, he inofrmed me that your driver's car was broken in to one day last week and that was why he was late on that morning. If you feel he is late on a regular basis or that the schedule needs to be changed I encourage you to call Gary yourself and explain what it is your looking for. We do need to hear from you in order for us to fix a problem.
Gary can be reached at 973-762-1175.
Eric |
Scrotis Lo Knows
Citizen
Username: Scrotisloknows
Post Number: 13
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2005 - 4:12 pm: |
|
EB
Thank you for this clarification. I am not trying to pick on the driver or get him in trouble and am sorry that his car was broken into. He was late three days in a row a few weeks back (a Friday, then the following Monday then Tuesday). All three mornings were bitterly cold and all those mornings we were RUNNING to the train....
Joan, thank you again for your input but I do tend to disagree. In no way do I view the Jitney as an entitlement. If these were free rides then I wouldn't really have much to say, but I did pay for this service. As a result, all I and others are asking is for is the Jitney to make it to the train on time, unless hindered some unforseen condition. I am sorry that "warming up the bus" is not a valid excuse in my book. I mean, isn't that the point of the jitney's existence? Isn't that the service they provide?
If asking for another 5 minutes a morning is going to break the Jitney bank then I am sorry...
|
grownup25
Citizen
Username: Grownup_25
Post Number: 12
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 5:48 pm: |
|
am i crazy, or is this the jitney schedule?
http://maplewoodonline.com/jitney.php |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 4648
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 5, 2006 - 6:31 pm: |
|
... I'm not sure how to tell you this, but if you think the last update of the Jitney schedule was on July 15, 2004, you must be crazy! |
Arsenal
Citizen
Username: Arsenal
Post Number: 46
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 6, 2006 - 8:35 am: |
|
Bottom line better communication needs to be exchanged when the train schedules are amended by NJ Transit. Based on the last change the Jitny needs to be 3-5 minutes earlier. Course, this would not be an issue if NJ Transit could refrain from altering the schedules every quarter. We are all creatures of habit and missing the train in the morning really puts a damper on the rest of the day for many of us. The Jitney service is generally great and is a real plus for the community. |
mickey
Citizen
Username: Mickey
Post Number: 366
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 7, 2006 - 1:47 pm: |
|
Ok, not schedule related, but last night at about 5:20 I witnessed a jitney coming down Tuscan Road towards Prospect. It must have been going at least 45 mph. It instantly reminded me of that funny bus on Harry Potter which tears through town, squishing itself to fit between cars and stopping short for the old lady in the walker, throwing all to the front of the bus.
I've also seen jitneys tearing down Jefferson at breakneck speed, although that was quite some time ago. Yes, they need to keep schedules, but not at teh expense of our safety. |
sam6
Citizen
Username: Sam6
Post Number: 40
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, January 7, 2006 - 2:00 pm: |
|
The Concierge always has the Jitney schedules but they are old. It is up to the public works dept. to update them but they never do. They have been called numerous times but the still do not update the schedules. The last one was updated October 2004. |
dytunck
Supporter
Username: Dytunck
Post Number: 273
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 9:09 am: |
|
NJ Transit has just announced a new schedule for morning trains. Three or four trains are scheduled to leave 3 minutes earlier.
I'd like to suggest the powers that be adjust the jitney schedule accordingly, to give riders a chance to catch these trains with enough time to spare.
|
jamie
Citizen
Username: Jamie
Post Number: 378
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 10:05 am: |
|
grownup - that is an old schedule - I should delete that - I used to link to it, but the schedule changed fairly often and I was never notified or given any updates when it happened. |
eb1154
Citizen
Username: Eb1154
Post Number: 447
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 6:32 pm: |
|
NJT hasn't notified us of any new changes. We will try to get them, but if anyone has the new schedule you can reach me @762-1175.
Eric |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6893
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 7:25 pm: |
|
The new schedule schould be posted on the NJTransit website. It should also be available at the train station and the libraries.
I have a copy of the schedule, which takes effect on 1/15/06. If anyone has any questions regarding a particular train, post the question here and I will try to answer it. |
gibbsgirl
Citizen
Username: Gibbsgirl
Post Number: 62
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 9:23 am: |
|
Thanks Joan..Do you know if the 7:39 am to Penn Station is still leaving at the same time? |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6902
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 4:53 pm: |
|
Yes, and it stops only at Secaucus and Penn Station NY after stopping at Maplewood. Thus passengers hoping to take this train to Hoboken (by changing at Newark Broad Street) cannot do so. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 1107
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 1:35 pm: |
|
Grownup and Jamie, If you used that schedule you would miss the jitney I take each day. So that old schedule is a SERIOUS disservice to anyone who uses it. |
jamie
Citizen
Username: Jamie
Post Number: 415
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 2:06 pm: |
|
I took that link offline - as I said, it wasn't linked from anywhere on the site, so hopefully many people didn't come across the incorrect info. |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page