Transit officials across the region are urging riders to start preparing for major service disruptions as a possible strike looms just days away.
NJ Transit engineers could walk off the job as soon as 12:01 a.m. Friday, May 16, after rejecting a tentative contract deal, threatening to shut down the agency’s entire commuter rail network for the first time since 1983. With more than 350,000 riders relying on that system daily, the Port Authority and MTA announced contingency plans, including expanded bus service at the Midtown Bus Terminal and ferry and shuttle options in Rockland, Orange and Newark.
But there’s still a chance to avoid a strike. NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen were scheduled to meet Monday in Washington, D.C., for a last-ditch round of federal mediation led by the National Mediation Board.
BLET General Chairman Tom Haas encouraged riders to push NJ Transit to resolve the deal ahead of May 16.
“The best thing that New Jersey train passengers can do is call New Jersey Transit and call [President and] CEO Kris Kolluri's office and tell him to settle this contract with the engineers,” he said.
The potential strike only involves NJ Transit’s rail engineers and not its bus operators or other workers. NJ Transit recently announced a tentative agreement with its largest union, the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents more than 5,500 bus employees. Agency officials said that deal reflects their willingness to negotiate, even as talks with the locomotive engineers remain stalled.
Nevertheless, NJ Transit officials warned that alternative transit will be limited, crowded and slower if the strike takes place. The agency strongly encouraged any commuters who are able to work from home to do so, since it estimates its service disruption plan will only accommodate about 20% of current rail customers.
The alternatives NJ Transit is providing include a first-come, first-served Park & Ride service from four parking lots beginning Monday, May 19, weekdays only, and only during peak morning and evening hours. The agency will also add capacity on existing bus routes to and from New York City.
Meanwhile, light rail and Access Link paratransit services will continue to operate as usual. NJ Transit will cross-honor its rail tickets on all bus and light rail lines during the potential work stoppage. Additional details are available on the NJ Transit website.
Other regional agencies are also stepping in to help, offering support even before a potential strike to give customers time to plan their travel.
The MTA said it will cross-honor West-of-Hudson tickets from New York stations to assist affected riders starting Monday, May 12. Officials also encouraged customers to consider other options, including Metro-North’s Cross-Hudson ferries, which will honor Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Line tickets, and Hudson Link buses. For more information, visit the MTA website.
Source: www.gothamist.com
