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NJT and “on-time” (Facts)

NJT and “on-time” (Facts)

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Scenario: I need to take an NJT train to work in order to attend a 9:00 AM meeting

Note: I am responsible for where I live…how I commute…and how much lead time I need for a 9:00 AM meeting in NYC. I just need the transit providers to follow their published schedules.

The plan:  NJT Train Schedule (MoBo Line, Watchung Avenue Station to Hoboken) to PATH (Hoboken to World Trade Center)

Here’s a picture: Catch the 7:44 AM…get to Hobo at 8:20 AM…hop on the PATH…arrive in time for 9:00 meeting.
(Keep reading…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy-peasy, right? Well…there are two versions of what happens:

Published Schedule Reality
Arrive Hoboken at 8:20 AM

Walk to PATH and take the 8:23 train to WTC

Arrive at the office in time for 9:00 AM meeting

 Arrive Hoboken at 8:24 AM*

Walk to PATH and miss the 8:23 AM

Stand around and wait

Take the 8:29 AM PATH train to WTC

Arrive at the office too late to attend a 9:00 AM meeting

Regarding the asterisk in Reality, above

  • Train #1002 never gets to Hoboken at 8:17 AM
  • Yes, I can say never because I use the Clever Commute app to capture the actual “doors open” time each day
  • It actually arrives an average of almost 4 minutes late (3:58 to be exact)
NJT says it’s a 33-minute trip.
It’s not.
I encourage NJT to be realistic about train #1002. Change the published arrival time to 8:24 AM.

 

You want an example?

You want an example?

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Simple as that…

  1. 4:14 PM: a commuter posted an alert on his line to share what he heard on the train
    “Conductor just announced single-tracking in/out of Penn”
  2. Clever Commute Artificial Intelligence technology recognized that an alert about “single-tracking” is something that affects users on all NJT lines.
    We therefore automatically re-shared it to all of our NJT riders.
  3. 4:59 PM: NJT first notifies users of the issue
    https://twitter.com/NJTRANSIT_MOBO/status/1227351567105429506
  4. 5:02 PM: a different commuter Tweeted their frustration (to NJT) that CleverCommute broke the story
    and that NJT “announced this [problem] only 50 minutes after @clevercommute did”
    See the Tweet here – https://twitter.com/jeffalexander19/status/1227352176298610688

    NJT said they are looking into this…but as of the update time on this blog post, the original Twitter user is still awaiting a reply
    https://twitter.com/StewartMader/status/1227446819506020353

Understanding the economics of Clever Commute

Understanding the economics of Clever Commute

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Summary: I try to be fair. I love running Clever. It’s passion of mine…but I need your help covering the costs.

If you are having second thoughts about the actual dollar cost of subscribing to the Premium version of Clever Commute, please read this and consider upgrading by using the Premium feature of the free app.
More info: Overview and Feature List

The Clever Commute guy is an everyday NJT rider, who has been running this service for 14 years, using his own funds. See the table below to understand the costs to design, build and maintain a scalable app/service such as this.

Back-of-the-envelop math will show you that simply selling the app for $1.99 (or $2.99, or even more) is not a tenable model…especially when you remember that Apple/Google keep 30% of that right off the top.

Regarding banner ads: I have previously said they are a way to make nickles and dimes. Trust me: that statement is only a slight exaggeration. Therefore, a subscription model is the only way to build and maintain a scalable robust solution. I’ve been doing this since 2006. Yes, I am in this for the long haul 🙂

Summing it up: I am a 5-day-a-week commuter. I have a full-time job in NYC. I run Clever as a passion project.
Your financial support helps to defray the costs of running this service. I really appreciate each and every subscriber.

—-

Start by recognizing that the App Stores take 30% of revenue right off the top.

But with all that being said, here are other things to think about

  • I personally spend over $400 a month on my commute. How about you?
    The $3.33 for Premium won’t “move the needle” on that monthly cost we all have …but it will help you and reduce your stress.
    Click here to see what other commuters say.
  • We give you 30 days of Premium when you first sign up. That’s a promotion.
    But we also give you another month free when you convert to Premium.
    (Note that any grace period for other apps is rarely a full month. Most do 7 days…maybe 14)
  • We give away free memberships as a matter of practice
    (our policy covers the unemployed, students, recent grads, people returning to the workforce, military, senior citizens, people who are disabled, pregnant or have any kind of mobility or material health issue)
  • We regularly donate Clever Commute subscriptions to charity
  • We take down our paywall as needed to ensure all commuters have a safe trip home
    (e.g., due to weather and other emergencies)

My point: I try to be fair. I’m OK to run Clever as a public service…so I need your help covering the costs. Please consider upgrading by using the Premium feature of the free app. Overview and Feature List.

Look at the Complexity Understand the Dollar Costs
Technical integration with at least 5 transit providers

We provide solutions for iOS as well as Android

We offer paid as well as free versions

We support 5 categories of data (not just crowdsourced)

Maintaining a presence for the app in 2 app stores

Our app communicates/publishes via e-mail, push notifications, SMS/text, web, and Twitter.

We also manage a presence on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

 It starts with the cost to build and maintain all these features. But it also includes the cost of vendors/providers I pay for …

  • Sending mails
  • Sending texts/SMS
  • Sending push notifications
  • Web/App Hosting
  • Backups
  • Data storage
  • Geolocation/Mapping license
  • Security tools
  • App Store-related APIs
  • Automation/Scheduling
  • Uptime monitoring

 

What’s new in version 4.1.1

What’s new in version 4.1.1

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Some changes happen on the back end…so end-users are already benefiting from those.
But for the sake of sharing the good news, here is the full list of what we’ve been up to

Enhancements and New Features

  • New! Service Status watcher – our bots find and share early warnings that your providers don’t
  • New! Get a heads up about your commute before it starts
  • Participate page – Removed ads
  • Recent Alerts – Port Authority alerts are now richer and faster
  • Recent Alerts- PATH alerts are now richer and faster
  • News You Need – Updated to reflect MTA monthly ticket sales dates
  • Premium – Overhauled the back-end process to better-handle subscriptions
  • Train Geolocation (NJT) – Streamlined and clarified the display

Bug fixes

  • News You Need – Added the ability to show icons/graphics
  • MyTrains – users now have full ability to modify their selections

Managing the “Good News” alerts at the start of your commute

Managing the “Good News” alerts at the start of your commute

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This page explains one or more of the dozens of amazing features found in Clever Commute Premium.

The Heads-Up feature sends Premium users the official view of their commute at the user’s stated travel time.

Some riders want to suppress those alerts. To accomplish that, they may use another Premium feature: the ability to stop notifications from any given user. How to:

  1. When you see such a message in Recent Alerts, tap on the actual Reported By: name
  2. On the subsequent screen, tap on Stop notifications

A longer (and older) video about this feature is here

The implemenation (and pros/cons) varies by provider per the table below

Provider Nickname Note
LIRR Official_LIRR This will also stop notifications for intraday official LIRR alerts
Metro-North Official_MNR Other intraday notifications come from Official_MetroNorth…so user can decide to suppress one or both
NJ Transit Trains Official_NJT Other intraday notifications come from line-specific accounts…so user can decide to suppress one or both

 

 

Getaway Day Advice – Thankgiving 2019

Getaway Day Advice – Thankgiving 2019

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As a service to commuters, we provide this getaway advice for those who are exiting NYC (via public transit) for Thanksgiving. Read on for:

  1. A look back at 2018: “What happened on the Wednesday before the holiday last year?“
  2. Clever Commute’s “SIX T’s” – the key to a stress-free commute on get-away day.

(1) What happened on the Wednesday before Thankgiving last year?

Overall: things were good before 1:00 PM. Conditions deteriorated in the 1:00 hour.
See carrier-specific notes below for details about what happened on your commute.

LIRR

  • The early getaway was not bad: Between 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, there were scattered issues on Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches
  • But the traditional commute saw “one of everything”…announced systemwide
    • 5:21 PM a medical issue
    • 6:01 PM (and re-stated at 6:23 PM) signal issues
    • 7:07 PM – slippery rail
    • 8:40 PM – LIRR announces things are finally on or close

Metro North

After some small noontime issues, primarily in the branches, the main 3 lines had fairly-uneventful afternoons (although those traveling near Southeast were affected by debris on track)

Metro North was also affected (6:51 PM) by the slippery rail condition announced by LIRR at 7:07 PM

NJ Transit Trains

  • Nothing out of the ordinary until 2:00 PM or so…but then the crowds took their toll
  • 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, riders used the word packed to describe several trains
  • Between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, conditions worsened. A handful of cancels, and very crowded conditions
  • 4:45 PM – Northeast Corridor experiences overhead wire problem..and things deteriorated further
  • 5:15 PM – NJT announces
    • NEC and NJCL service is suspended in both directions
    • cross-honoring is in place
  • 6:01 PM – NJT announces NEC and NJCL service resumes with 60-min delays
    …but commutes share news that every train listed at NYP is on STAND BY
  • 8:16 PM – The NEC and NJCL delays are now announced as 30-min
    …and by 9:30 PM, things seem back to normal

Hoboken was consistently reported to be a good option throughout the day

NJ Buses

  • 2:54 PM – PABT announced The PA Bus Term for Departures (NJ-bound) is experiencing a delay due to the general volume of traffic.
  • It was a crowded, but not terrible PM bus commute. By 6:00 PM, things were fairly quiet.

(2) Here are Clever Commute’s “SIX T’s” – the key to a stress-free commute on getaway day:

1. Technology – Think and plan NOW. Update your apps, load your e-Reader, charge your headphones, curate your playlist, charge your device and consider a portable charger.
Theses simple things can greatly reduce stress.

2. Tickets – tickets..Tickets…TICKETS. Get them early!
If you or your traveling companion will need a ticket, get it BEFORE Friday afternoon.
Lines are loooooong on getaway days.
Idea: LIRR, Metro North, NJ Transit and NY Waterway all have ticket apps!

3. Timing is crucial
Use the re-cap above as a guide…but add some padding to be safe.

4. Timetables and Schedule changes 
LIRR, Metro North and NJ Transit will provide (extra) getaway day service…but all 3 have date-specific trip planners on their sites.

5. Terminal – Choose wisely

  • If it is at all within your control, avoid NY Penn Station.
  • NJT riders: consider Hoboken and/or Newark Penn
  • LIRR riders:  consider Atlantic Terminal or Hunterspoint Avenue

6. Other Tips: 

  • Dress in layers – the terminal or the trains can be warm
  • Bring water/snacks – save time…save money. Plan ahead.
  • “Baggage strategy” matters – There is going to be lots of luggage around on Wednesday.
  • Pick/Pack your bag early and lightly!
  • Make your plan now…Do NOT wait until Wednesday morning to start thinking about this.

Have a great holiday!