Live Updates: Governor Apologizes as NJ Transit Strike Leaves Commuters Searching for Rides
Pinned
The first statewide transit strike in New Jersey in more than 40 years began just after midnight Friday when about 450 unionized locomotive engineers walked off their jobs in a pay dispute, shutting down New Jersey Transit's rail network.
Some commuters showed up at NJ Transit rail stations on Friday morning unaware of the shutdown, while others rushed to find different modes of transportation into New York City and beyond for work. Tens of thousands of commuters ride the trains on a typical workday.
They rushed to take ferries, NJ Transit buses and charter bus services. Amtrak was an option for passengers in some areas of New Jersey, but at a steep cost. Some commuters in Trenton said they could not afford a one-way ticket of up to $118 into the New York City metropolitan region, about six times the cost of a NJ Transit rail ticket. (Later in the morning, some Amtrak fares posted online were lower.)
Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey apologized on Friday morning to commuters whose trips had been disrupted and said that NJ Transit was eager to reach deal with the union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
'It is a slap in the face of every commuter and worker who relies on NJ Transit,' Mr. Murphy said at a news conference.
Union members began picketing early Friday.
Tom Haas, the union's general chairman, said on Friday that the group had been optimistic about a possible settlement until late Thursday night. 'They decided to walk away,' he said. 'It's definitely frustrating, but we're willing to go back to the table.'
Here's what we're covering: Working from home: NJ Transit urged rail commuters whose presence at their workplaces was not essential to work from home during the strike. Some big employers in New York, including Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, gave workers temporary permission to work remotely or said they would consider providing flexibility.
Bus service: NJ Transit's statewide bus system continued to operate as scheduled. The agency hired private buses to substitute for its train service, but they will start running on Monday, and Kris Kolluri, the chief executive of NJ Transit, said that the chartered buses could accommodate only about 20 percent of the displaced train riders. There is no supplemental bus service on Friday.
Using your tickets: Commuters who already have NJ Transit rail tickets and passes to or from New York, Newark or Hoboken may use those tickets on NJ Transit's existing bus routes and light rail lines. But they will not be cross-honored on other carriers, including Amtrak, PATH, ferries and private carrier buses.
Pay dispute: The union says its members want parity in wages with their counterparts who work for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. Mr. Kolluri said an offer the union voted down in March would have raised the average annual pay of full-time engineers to $172,000 from $135,000. But Mr. Haas said those figures were inflated.
Picket lines: The union planned to have picket lines at Penn Station in New York, at NJ Transit's headquarters in Newark and at the train station in Atlantic City.
Sports and concerts: NJ Transit also carries fans to concerts and sporting events at the Prudential Center in Newark and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Before the midnight deadline, the agency had already canceled service to MetLife for Shakira's concerts on Thursday and Friday nights. Here are alternate ways to get to and from MetLife.
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