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NJT Evening Trains to Avoid From NY Penn

December 12, 2021 by Administrator

In a recent post at Facebook's Delayed on NJ Transit Support Group. I shared the data for the 3 months between 1-Sep 2021 and 1-Dec 2021.
(it's also at the bottom of this post)

With eight cancels apiece, there was a tie for first place:

The 5:12 PM Northeast Corridor Line to Jersey Ave (#3725)
The 6:18 PM Morris & Essex Line to Summit (#6355)

Since the NEC is the largest NJT line, we focused on the 5:12 PM first.
A breakdown (no pun intended) of why NJT cancels the NEC 5:12 PM.

Date	Reason
3-Sep-2021	NJT did not provide a reason.
10-Sep-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY, was cancelled due to a mechanical issue.
13-Sep-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY is cancelled due to earlier mechanical issues.
25-Oct-2021	NJT did not provide a reason.
26-Oct-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM departure from PSNY, is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issues.
28-Oct-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM from PSNY, is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issues.
16-Nov-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM from PSNY is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier police assistance.
19-Nov-2021	NEC train #3725, the 5:12 PM PSNY departure is cancelled due to equipment availability resulting from earlier mechanical issue.

Here are the overall results

Count	Line	Time	Destination	Train #
8	Northeast Corridor	5:12 PM	Jersey Ave	3725
8	Morris & Essex	6:18 PM	Summit	6355
7	North Jersey Coast	5:29 PM	South Amboy	3513
6	Northeast Corridor	5:16 PM	Trenton Transit Station	3951
5	Northeast Corridor	6:39 PM	Trenton Transit Station	3961

A 360 degree view of the return to the office

June 14, 2021 by Administrator

Context: I have a full-time job in NYC, but I run Clever as a passion project...using my own time and money.
This blog post is my point of view as a commuter.

Even though I built the Clever Commute business, I do understand remote work. Yes, I have a full-time job "in NYC", but it's been over 20 years since I did 5-days-a-week in the office.

But like many of you, I worked at home full-time during the pandemic.
As of March 12, 2021, I was fully vaccinated and started commuting again. It started with one day a week and it's now two.
Here are my thoughts on why I returned to the office...and why you should consider it, too.

I'm no stranger to working from home.

When my (now college-grad) daughter was born, I was one of the first at my company to do "work from home".
Even pre-pandemic, the culture of my office was for people to work remotely at least 1 day a week

I have seen the downside

E-mail, IM and voice/video are my primary communication/productivity tools.
I know it can feel stupid to spend 3 hours a day commuting just to talk on a phone from NYC.
All too many times, I have had the terrible experience of a messed-up commute home causing me to miss my daughters' swim meets, theater performances, back-to-school nights, family dinners, and bedtimes.
That feeling was a driving force for me to create the Clever service.

You probably feel that you (and your company) are getting by just fine with remote work..and you're probably correct. Actually, many employers are posting strong financial results.
But part of what is happening is not healthy or sustainable for our employers or for us.

Lift as you climb
By the time you become a suburban commuter, the data suggests you are at a point in your life where you are uniquely positioned to be a leader, mentor, and role model to others.
The less-experienced people in our firms need to see the behaviors of we who are at "the next level"...even if they are not asking for it. This affects both their careers as well as the overall strength and viability of the company.

Improve yourself...for yourself
This is a nuanced twist on the above. Years ago, my manager did salsa dancing as a hobby. He told me that he always learned something from every dance partner of his.
Can this learning happen as you work remotely? Maybe...but so many opportunities are missed.

Improve yourself...for your company
A Clever commuter recently told me that part of her work is to hammer out tough issues with her counterparts. She said that one of the keys to her effective working relationships with her adversaries is the fact when they meet in person, they have a few minutes around the conference table before the meeting starts ("how are your kids?"..."taking any vacation?"...). These engagements humanize the process...and set the stage for the constructive collaboration which happens once the meeting actually starts.
Also, don't forget the magic that happens after the meeting ends...as we walk to the desk/elevator with people from the meeting.
Those dynamics are lost when meeting start and stop like this:

Help our employers be better in a tight labor market
Companies are evolving to accommodate remote work. They may not have the model perfect at this time.
The 16 months so far have been an accelerant unlike anything we could have ever imagined. Employers need to know how to attract and retain talent in this seller's market for labor.
Help them get to the best answers for everyone involved.

Summing it up
Do I want to spend 3 hours a day going back and forth? No way. But as I recently posted on LinkedIn, there are some real advantages to having that time to read...learn...relax...listen to podcasts (and to see people in NYC).

Commuting is not the goal. It is the enabler of the dynamics mentioned above.

Clearly, there are two "poles": 100% remote and 100% in the office
Many of us have experienced the former...and I see very few employers truly expecting the latter.
Maybe there is a greater amount of common ground than imagined. But "Step 1" is to get back on that horse and be a part of figuring out what the best model is. For you, your company, and the people you work with.

Covid Crisis: “Danger” as well as “Opportunity”

March 20, 2021 by Administrator

Back in 2006, as a longtime frustrated train rider, I started what became Clever Commute. Our offerings have evolved over the years, but one thing hasn't: Commuters love Clever.
To be clear: I have a full-time job in NYC. I run Clever as a passion project. There are no investors...no venture capital. I use my own time and money and I am energized by building and running this service.

The pandemic caused me and many others to take a year off from commuting. The encouraging news is that nearly half of the people who work in Manhattan offices are expected to return to their desks this fall. I already started going back to my office. More on that later.

JFK said The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.

Did the last 12 months create an opportunity? Yes!

I was able to make some fundamental improvements which would have been very hard to do during peak commuting times. The "Covid lull" gave me a window to act.

(1) Overhauled our technology platform

"Cloud" is the future and Clever is now fully cloud-based.
Our "back-end" is now faster and more resilient than ever.
We now also have the ability to increase horsepower on demand.
There are scores of other amazing benefits to the cloud as well.
Re-launched the user-facing CleverCommute.com website
Modernized the "front end" of the app itself.

(2) Added new features you can use

Built new return to Office and Covid-related features
Integrated the official info from transit providers into the free offering.
(this was previously a Premium feature)

The result: The end-user experience is now better, faster, and more stable than ever.

Are We Done?

Hah! Never!
In the time since our Version 1.0 product was released in 2015, we have literally made thousands of improvements (check out this video of our first version...and please promise not to laugh).
There are hundreds of known enhancements we want to make...and the list never stops growing.

Will the commuting experience ever look like it did pre-pandemic? Probably not...but what ever does stay the same over time? Certainly not technology and technology-based services such as Clever Commute.
Let's see what the future holds!

My mailbox is always open...and maybe I'll see you on the rails and roads soon?

What commuters are saying about their return-to-office commute

November 14, 2020 by Administrator

This page is a work in progress and, with your input, will continue to evolve

Rider Compliance

A NJT train rider reports that everyone wears masks and social distancing 90% of the time

What to pack

Find the right balance of light and safe.

- Hand sanitizer - yes
- Food and drink - no (so drink your coffee before or after the commute)

Let’s post and share about RTO (Return to office)

October 21, 2020 by Administrator

The one-liner: Feel free to post on CleverCommute using the "Return to office" category...or simply use the abbreviation rto (or RTO) in your message...and the app will categorize it for you.

Has something changed?: Yes! Due to the unique Covid-related environment, we have modified our filtering logic. Users can now use the app's Participate feature to share (and ask) in ways that previously may have been set aside for moderator review. So if you want to know if the trains are safe/crowded/clean ... then ask the folks who have the info: the people who ride.

Why the change?: As discussed in early October, it has become clear that this network of commuters wants to help each other...share with each other. Some of you have been commuting throughout the pandemic. Some of you recently started. Some may be starting soon (or later).
So let's do what Clever Commuters do best: let the information flow.

How?: For the most part, you post your comment or question as you always have (instructions). But please identify your return to work-related message as such in one of two ways when using the app's Participate feature:
1. Set option #2 (What's happening) to the first choice: Return to office
-or -
2. Simply use the acronym rto (lower or upper case) in the body of your message. Our technology will auto-categorize it!
Note: rto is not a hashtag. It's simply the three-letter abbreviation.

I’m [encouraged]/[horrified] because NYC is [rebounding]/[worse than ever]

October 7, 2020 by Administrator

Here at Clever Commute, we're evolving our model in order to help people prepare for the eventual return to work (RTW). No one expects RTW to happen all at once...and I expect that the experience will vary by location, person, industry, etc.

But when I recently asked folks who are currently are commuting "what do you see?"...I was surprised at the diversity of replies I received. The 2 in the table below came into my mailbox virtually back-to-back.

Clearly: perceptions will vary. Both of the commuters have a long history of sharing reliable info on Clever Commute.
So, as I was once told: "Don't listen to anybody. Rather, listen to everybody."

Maybe you love NYC. Maybe you need NYC. Maybe both. Let's give it our support...with an open mind.

Commuter A said...	Commuter B said...
There are so many misperceptions on the news People say to me: "I would commute except I'm scared of the homeless." However, I haven't found that to be a problem at all. In fact I see less homeless than usual (and I've taken the train, the bikes, and the subway, so I've had lots of opportunities).	The homeless population is worse now then early 90’s and it is under reported. The aggressive nature of those seeking money is unreal. It is hard to believe how dirty and disgusting the area around Penn Station is.