In the Summer of 2012, as a member of NJ Transit’s Developer program, Clever Commute built an app which gave commuters track number information in advance of being announced by NJT.

The information Clever Commute shared came directly from a NJT datafeed…and was delivered to the commuters in compliance with the NJT/Clever Commute partnership agreement.  Both sides openly acknowledged that the advance-track-number information was not 100% accurate/complete. However, Clever Commuters raved about this service.

NJT expressed displeasure with the fact that we were indeed using one of the data fields that they included in the field provided to us (and to all developers). Details of NJT/Clever Commute story can be found in this Wall Street Journal story.
To make a long story short: NJT stopped sharing that particular data feed with all developers.

However, Clever  Commute used this series of events as a catalyst to build an amazing suite of premium services which meets the needs to today’s commuters. We spent two years working / building / designing. After putting in over 1,200 enhancements, we are announcing the next version of The Inside Track – a portfolio of amazing features which empowers the commuters and gives them control over the data they need.

Today’s big news: Early-notice track numbers are coming back. In many ways our new approach makes “Round 2” better than before. 

Please follow this link to see all the details.

Summary:  Your ratings are key to maintaining the quality of Clever Commute user-generated messages. If you find a message unhelpful, please simply answer No to the Was this alert helpful? prompt.
Report abuse is for spam/hacks and patently offensive content.

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Toward the bottom of every user-generated message we send, you will find a section such 
as that shown at the right:

We provide this feature in order to:

1. reward the helpful post-ers
2. engage and coach the un-helpful ones
3. identify and deal with any spam or unauthorized use of the system

So, in the context of our best practices, you have two choices: Yes and No

Use Report Abuse here:

• A hacker/spammer is able to bypass our security and get their message sent to the community
  (it’s rare…but it happens. See next point)
• A spam message is sent from the compromised e-mail account of an otherwise-valid Clever Commuter
  (e.g., if an unauthorized person gets access to your e-mail account…then we may not immediately know)
• A legitimate commuter says something offensive / derogatory / insensitive, etc.

If you have additional concerns about a message you see, please feel free to let us know at feedback@clevercommute.com

Just because you don’t care for the content of a message, that does not necessarily mean that someone is abusing the system. Examples:

• A commuter shares a good alert…but outside of traditional commuting times
• Messages which come to you via our 3rd party feeds (e.g., Port Authority)

Final point: It may be worth your time to look at our premium product (The Inside Track). It gives you the ability to filter (block) messages based on category, sender and time-0f-day/day-of-week. (see examples here)

FYI – here are examples of recent messages which were marked as Abuse…but clearly are not.

•  Bus Customer Alert – The PA Bus Term for Arrivals (NY-bound) is experiencing a delay due to a disabled vehicle/accident.
• Detour thru Secaucus. Problem inbound.
• 6:34 AM Northport to Hunters Point missed connection at Jamaica. Going to be 15 minutes late into NYP
• 7:51 AM Millburn MTD making extra stop at Secaucus. Already delayed in swamps by a few mins.
• 8:17 Walnut to NYP announced as picking up Secaucus passengers then rolls through when no one is on the platform

Earlier today, we published a posting of web resources for Metro North riders. In addition to that, here is some additional info

• Remember our zen: Share [information]…don’t ask [for it]. For those of you who are new to Clever Commute, please check out our best practices. We have 20,00+people in our network…so stepping in and asking questions of the community simply don’t work at this scale.
• If you have info that will help others…then share it. In the aftermath of the May 17 derailment, there may be new crowdsouring opportunities (e.g., car parking information for displaced train commuters). If you think you have good info for your fellow riders, then share it with the group. If you have questions about suitable use, the please contact us via the web site…or reach out via feedback [at] clevercommute-dot-com
• Regarding the branches.  We generally have one “community” for each major train line on Metro North (Hudson, Harlem and New Haven). However, we recently added new communities for each of the branches on the New Haven line (Waterbury, Danbury, New Canaan), so please signup for and use those for branch-specific sharing.
• Tweets and Texts – If you simply want to receive real-time alerts from your fellow commuters (via Twitter…or their texting feature), then you may do so via https://clevercommute.com/twitter

More on #1 for the major carriers:

• Metro North’s Thanksgiving Holiday Service for Hudson, Harlem & New Haven Lines, Nov. 23-27
• LIRR Offers Extra Thanksgiving Weekend Service; Off-Peak & Family Fares in Effect
• NJ Transit – As of press time for us, we could only find Thanksgiving Holiday Bus Schedules
  (they usually post something about trains…so keep an eye on their web site for that)

But…ONLY Clever Commute will show you What happened last year on ‘getaway’ day?
We think this info is key to helping you plan. Here is the rundown:

On Wednesday, November 24, things got crowded after 1:00 PM…but 3:00 looked to be the worst of it:

Trains:
1:05 PM [Penn Station] – LIRR rider shared this: 1:05 running 10 min late. Probably due to overcrowding on short train
3:25 PM [Penn Station] – NJT riders share these

• Train was SRO – hundreds of passengers left on platform
• Packed to to gills; no standing room even
• and finally – stuck at Newark for crew to push passengers aside to open the doors

Bus:
3:05 PM [Port Authority] – DeCamp bus rider shared these this: long lines for all Decamp gates.
3:12 PM – we received these messages

• SRO with people still at the gate
• 410/411 backed up to 402

…and so it went for most of the afternoon.

Here is something to keep your eyes o.

The commuter tax benefit, the tax break provision in the stimulus bill in 2009 by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), is set to end at the end of this year.

Read up on it at sites like this one.

Wow! You folks are creative!  Earlier today, we asked “Since no trains are running, how did you get to NYC today?”

Now…what you might not know is that NJT always does some degree of cross-honoring. Your train pass may be valid for a bus (or light rail) that can get you home.
For more info, go here http://www.njtransit.com/ti/ti_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=RailTicketsTo and click on Travel Flexibility

Here is what 6 others said…in no particular order. Sorry if there are still questions about these details…as we did not have time to review each one. You can add more in the “comments”

Something tells me you might want to bookmark this page…;)

(1) Drove to Sec. Junction.  Parked.  Took any available train into Penn.  Already have a monthly so only extra cost was parking for the day.  Very easy.

(2) I live in Verona, and work in lower Manhattan. So, today I took the 29 express bus to Newark Penn Station. When I Got there, I took the Path train to the World Trade Center. The bus was cross-honoring my train pass, so that didn’t cost extra. I got to work a little earlier than usual, in fact.

(3) LAZ Parking at 138 Magnolia, Jersey City connects underground to the JOURNAL SQUARE PATH. The cost is 10 bucks for 12 hours.

(4) To reach Newark City Subway:
Ride the #28 bus or drive to Grove Street Station Park N Ride via Bloomfield Avenue or Franklin Avenue. 
Drive south toward Newark, passing under the Garden State Parkway overpass, and continue to Watsessing Avenue. 
From Bloomfield Avenue, continue one more block and turn left on Grove Street. 
From Franklin, turn right on Watsessing and bear right on Grove.  Park and Ride parking machine is located near the entrance to the Light Rail Station ticket kiosks. 
(Map of station location http://tinyurl.com/4ypmw92 )
Monthly train pass holders do NOT need to purchase a ticket to ride the light rail.  For others, a one-way ticket is $1.35.
Ride to Newark Broad Street if connecting train lines are running, or to Penn Station to connect with PATH service and other NJ Transit trains that may be in service.

(5) I drove from Glen Ridge to Harrison this morning. Traffic on the GSP was about usual volume although Rte. 280 was jammed up due to an accident on the west side about ¼ mile west of the train station. Plenty of parking in Harrison. Trip took about 25 – 30 minutes. The Path train to Exchange Place was very crowded.

(6) From Glen Ridge:
1.) Took Bus (a special NJT train that was running when I got to the bus stop) to the Bloomfield light rail station.
2.) Took Light Rail to Newark Penn Station
3.) Took NJT train to New York Penn Station
Actually didn’t take much longer than my actual commute.

No one knows better than the commuters that it’s a mobile world.

See clevercommute.com/app for more info about our app.

We continue to grow and grow…so here are some basics about using Clever Commute:

Almost all of our information comes from the commuters. Therefore…it’s key that you each understand how you can each SHARE information with your fellow commuters.

How you SHARE information*

• Use your e-mail program to send a message
• Put your entire message in the SUBJECT line (e.g., do NOT use the body of your e-mail)
• Each train line / bus route / etc has its own “community”.Therefore, for THIS community, you should send it to [see e-mail]
  (please add that address to your “Contacts”)

How you can RECEIVE the information

• Via e-mail (you got this, right? 😉
• Via Twitter (see https://www.clevercommute.com/twitter)
• Via our mobile app. No install needed. Works on all smartphones.  (see http://m.clevercommute.com)

* Two things to note before you share

1. If you are new to Clever Commute, please sit back and get the feel of how things work here before you “post” anything.
   FYI – We actually won’t allow you to share for your first 30 days
2. Over these past 5 years, we’ve learned a few things about how to best harness “the wisdom of the crowds”.
   Here is a blog post with “the top 6 reasons your messages was NOT sent out”
   https://clevercommute.com/blog/?p=1092

We have a new service which distributes information about which evening trains have bar cars on Metro North’s New Haven line.

This is DIFFERENT from the regular “Clever Commute New Haven Line”alerting service.

Yes…it’s FREE!

Sign up at clevercommute.com (go to “Find your line”…and under “Trains (Alerts)”, you’ll see “Bar Car – New Haven Line”)

NOTE: THIS IS THE BEST PART :

If you use Twitter, then you have even more options:
You can “Follow” @cc_mnr_bar_nh (or @cc_mnr_bar_nh_r for the reverse commute)
That means that you can receive the “bar car” info the same way you receive any Twitter info:
(a) via the web (at twitter.com)
(b) via a Twitter app on your cell phone
(c) AS A TEXT MESSAGE

We have more info about how Clever Commuters can use Twitter here clevercommute.com/twitter

Some great press coverage:

• Bloomberg (MP3) – Crandall Discusses Clever Commute Business 
• New Haven Register – Looking for the bar car? Service keeps train commuters in the know

Summary: Clever Commute is in the process of rolling out a new way to manage customer support. it probably comes as no surprise that we are crowdsourcing it…with help from GetSatisfaction.com

As the size of our community approaches the 20,000 commuter mark, it’s time to think about new and innovative ways to thrill and retain the only true asset we have: the commuters.

Clever Commute technology is solid and the commuters are proactive and helpful. But…”stuff” comes up…and we need a scalable way to address it. For example:

• Commuters may have question about their subscription (sign-up, change address, pausing “Clever Commute” while on vacation, etc)
• Our business partners have questions about their data feeds
• Sponsors may be looking for our media kit for advertisers
• The media may want to reach us for a quote or interview

Enter: What is Get Satisfaction (2 minute YouTube video)

Didn’t watch that? Well here is what you need to know:

GetSatisfaction is a 3rd party website which tracks and manages the questions and answers from the community.Instead of writing to someone at Clever Commute…and waiting…the GetSatisfaction technology guides you to the answer.

We will update this page as move forward with the roll-out…but we did want to put this here as a placeholder.