NJ Transit and an engineers’ union appear to be heading toward a major rail strike that would start Friday — the first one in decades.
Currently, both sides are in Washington, D.C. participating in mediation, where they pledged to continue negotiations.
Representatives for NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers were called to the capital by federal arbitrators trying to push the two sides to reach an agreement before hundreds of thousands of riders are impacted by a strike for the first time since 1983.
Though they have several days to reach an agreement, preparations are well underway for it to happen.
HOW WILL A STRIKE IMPACT YOU?
Unfortunately for some Shakira fans, the impact of a possible NJ Transit strike will be felt soon.
On Monday, NJ Transit announced it would not provide train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for the Shakira concerts on Thursday and Friday due to the strike threat.
The news could impact hundreds if not thousands of attendees to the shows, in particular Thursday’s show, which is sold out.
The stalemate over wages threatens to leave 350,000 riders in the lurch, despite contingency plans that promise shuttle buses from key hubs like Secaucus Junction and the PNC Arts Center. NJ Transit warns on its website: “NJ TRANSIT strongly encourages all those who can work from home to do so and limit traveling on the NJ TRANSIT system to essential purposes only.”
NJ Transit said that the agency will be providing additional buses if a strike materializes. However, those buses would only accommodate 20 percent of riders.
NJ Transit
The contingency plan includes adding more buses to certain New York bus routes close to rail stations and contracting with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional Park & Ride locations during peak hours during the work week.
How about if you are not one of the commuters who will be served by these additional buses? Well, the MTA has also announced cross-honoring plans for West-of-Hudson customers. However, be aware that Amtrak, MTA, PATCO, SEPTA, ferry and certain private carrier buses will not be cross-honoring, so customers using these providers should be ready to pay for a ticket separately, NJ Transit said.
To find out more about NJ Transit’s contingency plan and for updated information, click here.
The chaos that could come from a possible strike could result in long lines to PATH trains, buses and other public forms of transportation, as well as extended waits for rideshare services. So make sure to give yourself extra travel time. The same goes for drivers since there could be more cars than usual on the road.
New Jersey Transit operates buses and rail in the state, providing an estimated 925,000 weekday trips, including into New York City. The labor dispute goes back to 2019, when the engineers’ contract expired.
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