Councilman Ravi Bhalla today called on NJ Transit to provide Hoboken bus and rail commuters with the option of using their tickets on the new ferry service from Hoboken to 39th Street as a way of combating the overcrowding anticipated this summer due to service changes resulting from scheduled repairs. An additional 7,400 commuters, according to NJ Transit’s own estimate, will be diverted to Hoboken beginning on July 10, with the majority likely to use the already at or beyond capacity PATH or NJ Transit buses to get to New York City. These commuters are being diverted from the Morristown/ Essex line.

Bhalla noted the so-called cross-honoring option to access Ferry Service is being made available to the diverted commuters, but as of now not to Hoboken ones.

Councilman Bhalla said, “The least Hoboken commuters deserve for the inconvenience and additional over-crowding they will experience this summer is the same cross-honoring options as other commuters. I call on NJ Transit to provide this needed flexibility and consideration.”

NJ Transit is modestly increasing bus and rail service in Hoboken during the morning rush over the summer. But the increase fails to match the scale of the over-crowding problem.

Councilman Bhalla adds his voice to Mayor Zimmer’s who made a similar request of NJ Transit recently.