NJ Transit laid out its contingency plans Thursday for a possible commuter train strike next week and warned commuters that they could be in store for a very hectic scenario.
Administrators said they will provide NJ Transit buses to riders who travel to New York City as well as private buses if the work stoppage takes place March 13. Path trains and ferries will also cross honor NJ Transit tickets.
Executive Director Dennis Martin, said the agency can only accommodate about 38% of the nearly 160,000 commuters who come into the city daily.
“Our plan focuses our limited available resources on the largest segment of our rail customer base, the New York bound customer,” he said at a news conference.
The union representing 4,200 railroad employees have been fighting the state for new contract, which they haven’t had in five years. A meeting between both sides is scheduled for Friday in Washington D.C.
“Our goal is not to have a strike,” Martin said.
NJ Transit will have up to the minute information on the potential strike on its website, njtransit.com
“Gridlock” Sam Schwartz, a transit specialist who helped create the contingency plan, advised the strike would have cascading effects on the tri-state area as 10,000 more cars would be on the road. He advised riders, and most importantly, employers to plan ahead.
“You can make flex time so that employees are not stressed when they get there,” he said.
