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Time Out
16-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
When will the NJ Transit strike end?
Your morning commute just became a game of transit roulette. As of Friday, May 16, NJ Transit engineers have officially gone on strike, per The New York Times, halting all rail service on the country's third-largest commuter system, including Metro-North's west-of-Hudson lines. If you were hoping for a last-minute save, sorry: union leaders and NJ Transit brass failed to ink a deal before the deadline. When was the last time NJ Transit went on strike? That would be 1983, the year NJ Transit was born. Engineers picketed for 34 days back then. This current strike follows the rejection of a tentative contract by 87-percent of the union's voting members. Negotiators had been at the table late Thursday night but walked away, depending on who you ask, just before a deal could be struck. Talks are expected to resume Sunday, May 18, with both sides still publicly claiming a resolution is 'achievable.' What will the NJ Transit strike affect? Everything. No trains are running. Zip. Zilch. Nada. NJ Transit has about 172,000 daily rail riders and 350,000 total system riders. Without rail service, buses, light rail, PATH, ferries and rideshare apps are shouldering the chaos. Fans heading to MetLife Stadium for concerts from Shakira and Beyoncé may find themselves gridlocked—or stuck with sky-high Lyft fares. Meanwhile, daily commuters are being told to work from home unless absolutely necessary. NJ Transit strike dates The strike began at 12:01am on Friday, May 16. There's no official end date, but NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) say they're open to continued negotiations. Sunday's talks may determine whether this mess drags into the following week. NJ Transit travel disruptions The strike suspended all NJ Transit rail services, including Metro-North's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines west of the Hudson. To ease the blow, NJ Transit is offering limited Park-and-Ride shuttle service from Secaucus Junction, Hamilton Rail Station, Woodbridge Center Mall and the PNC Bank Arts Center—though these only operate on weekdays during peak hours. Rail tickets are being cross-honored on NJ Transit-operated buses and light rail, but they won't be accepted on Amtrak, PATH, ferries or private bus lines. Some bus routes near train lines will see added capacity, but officials warn the patchwork plan can only accommodate about 20-percent of normal rail ridership. Expect bus overcrowding, packed light rail cars and heavier-than-usual traffic, especially during the morning and evening rush. Unless something gives this weekend, it's going to be a long ride—without the train.
Time Out
08-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
A NJ Transit shutdown is about to complicate your morning commute—what to know
Your morning commute might be going off the rails—literally. NJ Transit train engineers are threatening to strike starting Friday, May 16, and if they do, it could bring the entire rail system to a screeching halt. That includes not just the NJ Transit rail lines that carry hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, but also Metro-North's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines west of the Hudson. The potential shutdown? Total. No trains. Anywhere. The reason: pay. Engineers, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, rejected a tentative agreement in April and are demanding compensation closer to $190,000 annually, a figure NJ Transit says would bankrupt the system unless fares jump 34-percent or corporate transit taxes surge 37-percent. The agency offered a counter that would push average salaries to $170,000 by 2029, but no deal has been reached for now. If the strike does happen, NJ Transit is urging riders to stay home unless travel is essential. The contingency plan is a patchwork of extra buses, park-and-ride shuttles and enhanced service on select routes. It's a valiant effort, but it only covers about 20-percent of current rail ridership, so expect long lines, limited seating and parking lots that fill up faster than you can say 'Montclair-Boonton Line.' New pop-up bus routes from four park-and-ride hubs—Secaucus Junction, Woodbridge Center Mall, Hamilton Rail Station, and PNC Bank Arts Center—will operate weekday peak hours to NYC or key PATH stations. Regular NJ Transit buses and light rail will keep rolling, and rail tickets will be cross-honored, but only on NJ Transit-operated lines. Meanwhile, Metro-North is prepping its own backup: honoring west-of-Hudson tickets on other routes, adding capacity on the Hudson line and opening alternate parking. in a statement.
