Stuck No More: Commute Times Shaved with New Bus/Ferry Initiative

A pilot program between NY Waterway and NJ Transit will allow riders along three New Jersey bus routes to bypass the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Lincoln Tunnel, clearing traffic and easing commuting times.

According to the transit agencies, commuters along the NJ Transit 156R, 158 and 159R routes along the Palisade Ave/River Road corridor will see reduced times of 30 minutes in the afternoons and evenings. The service will not be available for morning commutes.

The program – open to riders with tickets/passes along those routes – is set to begin on June 3, and allows commuters to return home on the NY Waterway ferries and buses at no extra charge. There's no shot of getting stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel with the ferry.

Here's how it works, according to the agencies: 

• Homeward-bound NJ TRANSIT commuters can check the free NY Waterway Bus Locator App, available on any hand-held device or computer, and see in real time, exactly where NY Waterway buses are in their extensive bus network operating throughout Midtown and Downtown Manhattan. During afternoon/evening rush hour, NY Waterway buses arrive about every 10 minutes.
• Commuters take the NY Waterway bus to the West 39th Street Ferry Terminal, where there is a short walk, almost all weather-protected, from the bus to the ferry. Ferry and bus schedules are coordinated, allowing for a seamless connecting transfer.
• The ferry trip from West 39th Street to Port Imperial in Weehawken takes 8 minutes.
• At Port Imperial, there is a one-minute walk, again almost all weather-protected, to NY Waterway buses waiting to take commuters home along the Palisade Avenue/River Road corridor.

Waterway President Arthur E. Imperatore in a news release said the the ferries have a 99 percent on-time performance record. Following the June pilot, the agencies will offer "special introductory priced" bus-ferry tickets (10 trips) for July and August. They'll be available at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Riders along the 156R, 158 and 159R will pay $98 for 10-trip tickets to/from Midtown's Zone 2 and $122 for Zone 3.

A regular fare will be established for September after the three-month introductory period.

Visit New York Waterway's website for additional details.