NJT

Bad Commute on September 5, 2013 – chronology

Bad Commute on September 5, 2013 – chronology

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Signal problems were the stated cause of a bad commute on both NJ Transit and LIRR.

Oldest entries at the bottom [see “Published on” for the as-of time of this post]

Carrier Route Timestamp Comment
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:37:02 The late 545 left penn approx 620 we just got to secaucus seats available (06:37 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Gladstone & Morristown Lines 2013-09-05 18:36:08 No problems at hoboken (06:36 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Main & Bergen County Lines 2013-09-05 18:35:19 629 still at sec. At 633. No word how long were waiting here (06:35 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:29:08 601 from NWK left at 628. Seats available. (06:29 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Main & Bergen County Lines 2013-09-05 18:20:09 Hoboken not crowded. Seems best bet for main/Bergen riders (06:20 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Montclair-Boonton Line 2013-09-05 18:19:03 6.08 from NYP left at 6.15. NYP is packed, phone networks overloaded (06:19 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Montclair-Boonton Line 2013-09-05 18:16:03 Just got on the 6:27 from Hobokem. No cross-honoring on. PATH. (06:16 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Gladstone & Morristown Lines 2013-09-05 18:14:29 5:50 MTD Dover packed, still in station, no announcements (06:14 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:14:08 5:41 NEC left about 30 mins late. Just arrived at sec (6:14 (06:14 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Montclair-Boonton Line 2013-09-05 18:14:02 Decamp cross honoring (06:14 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:10:06 Trn 3171 NYP NEW BRUNSWICK track 10 (06:10 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) North Jersey Coast Line 2013-09-05 18:08:25 NEC rider validates what njt website says – delays of 20-30 out of NYP. Trains exiting Hoboken are fine. (06:08 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:05:19 3867 semi express to Trenton still boarding at Nwk (6:04), has stop signal from east bound amtrak (06:05 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 18:03:05 Apparent Signal prob in newark. All trains westbound stopped. (06:03 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 17:59:02 5:23 south amboy just getting to newark (05:59 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Raritan Valley Line 2013-09-05 17:55:39 update-continued NYP is crowded with delayed trains. Hoboken is fine. Avoid trains which transfer at Newark due to crowds there (05:55 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) North Jersey Coast Line 2013-09-05 17:49:06 Signal problems, mechanical problems causing delays (05:49 PM)
DeCamp 33 & 66 2013-09-05 17:48:10 5:35 66x just arrived (05:48 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 17:45:29 5:12 from NY just boarded. Doors closed. Train hasn’t left Penn. Its 5:39 (05:45 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) North Jersey Coast Line 2013-09-05 17:38:09 Chaos at Newark Penn Station (05:38 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Gladstone & Morristown Lines 2013-09-05 17:34:07 NJT Alerts says bus is xhonoring but buses in PABT aren’t. Say they haven’t heard from NJT (05:34 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 17:33:03 4:54 to JA just reached Newark no seats available (05:33 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Babylon Branch 2013-09-05 17:23:07 LIRR website says up to 20 min delays, all lines (05:23 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Main & Bergen County Lines 2013-09-05 17:18:07 Trains in hoboken are on schedule (05:18 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Port Jefferson Branch 2013-09-05 16:59:08 Many cancellations and track changes at NYP (04:59 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Port Jefferson Branch 2013-09-05 16:55:27 Major delays and cancellations – Signal problems on the Queens side of the tunnels (04:55 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 16:50:24 Track changes at Penn. Looks like no 13 or 14 (04:50 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Pascack Valley Line 2013-09-05 16:33:23 Reconsider using NYP tonight. The next 5 trains on the board (NEC/NJCL) are all cancelled or delayed.  (04:33 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 16:28:12 Eastbound LIRR delays this PM – signal issues on the Queens side of the East River. MTA estimates complete repairs by approx 6:15 PM (04:28 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 16:20:26 Repairs will take 2 hours (04:20 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Gladstone & Morristown Lines 2013-09-05 16:13:10 LIRR has signal problems. NJT departureboard shows some delays/Standby.  (04:13 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Northeast Corridor Line 2013-09-05 16:13:03 Delays at NYP (04:13 PM)
NJ Transit Train (NJTT) Gladstone & Morristown Lines 2013-09-05 16:03:10 All trains at Penn Station on standby due to signal problems between Sunnyside Yard Queens and Penn St. Major crowding starting. (04:03 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Port Washington Branch 2013-09-05 16:03:09 UPDATE: PW line WESTBOUND has the problem. No reported issue with EASTBOUND (04:03 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 16:01:03 Problems brewing service suspended in and out of pen (04:01 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Montauk Branch 2013-09-05 16:00:44 Problems brewing service suspended in and out of pen (04:00 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 15:57:16 Service suspended between Jam and NYP – signal problems. Also suspended between Woodside and Penn on the Port Washington Branch (03:57 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Babylon Branch 2013-09-05 15:54:08 Get ready for a crazy commute. Service suspended between Penn and Jamaica (03:54 PM)
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Ronkonkoma Branch 2013-09-05 15:53:09 Lirr reporting Penn to Jamaica is suspended (03:53 PM)

Integration with alerts from your transit provider

Clever Commute’s on-time performance metrics

Clever Commute’s on-time performance metrics

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Historically, train on-time performance metrics have two flaws:

  1. They are self-reported (e.g., no independent verification)
  2. They use a non-neutral methodology  (e.g., one which favors the transit providers)

Clever Commute will address these issues via a new initiative: On-time metrics which are generated by the commuters on the trains.

Phase 1 will capture / measure performance for AM NJT trains at NY Penn Station.

How is how Phase 1 works:

  • At the moment that the train doors open at the terminal platform, use your mobile-enabled device to send a message to their train’s e-mail address (please read on)
  • Clever Commute will capture and aggregate this information (train #, arrival-time)
  • The address to use is YourTrainNumber@clevercommute.net
    (NOT the normal address you use to share traditional alerts)

For example, I often take this NJT train:

Depart : WATCHUNG AVENUE at 7:32 AM
Board : Train 6210 toward NEW YORK PENN STATION
Arrive : NEW YORK PENN STATION at 8:19 AM

The e-mail address for each train has the following format: train-number “at” clevercommute.com

In this instance, it is 6210@clevercommute.net. Here is an example:

 

CleverCommuteTrackMetricsFormat   #1 – This train is NJT 6210… so the e-mail address is 6210@clevercommute.net

#2 – Put the arrival time in the Subject
(e.g, 8:22)

#3 – The commuter does not need to add a Body

 

Clever Commute technology will then aggregate the data and create reports based on these actuals.

Filed Under: NJT

Maplewood, South Orange, Morristown…some helpful news for for commuters

Maplewood, South Orange, Morristown…some helpful news for for commuters

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We created 3 new Clever bus communities. Please join whichever one(s) you like. If you have never used Clever Commute for the bus…then this might be a good opportunity to start.
(More info about Clever Commute here)

  • Lakeland bus Route 78 (Summit)
  • NJ Transit bus Route 107 (South Orange)
  • Coach USA Route 77 (Morristown)

To sign up: go to clevercommute.com/signup and change “Select provider type” to “Bus Alerts”.
(there is no easy way to simply “add” these to your current subscription…so you need to re-sign up for each. Sorry)
A few other caveats:

  • If you are new to Clever Commute, it may take a few days until you can _send_ messages…but you will be able to _receive_ as soon as you get your “Welcome” e-mail
    (after you confirm…and we approve you)
  • When you get the mail asking you to confirm, please use the “Click this link” option. If you use the “reply to this mail to confirm”…you’ll see it does not yet work yet.
  • The e-mail address that you need for each community is found in the “Welcome” mail you receive after we approve/add you.
  • We are still working on the Twitter feeds for each of these new communities.
  • And of course: the content comes from YOU. Please lead by example and share whatever it is you think your fellow commuters want to know.

We pulled these together quickly…so there are some rough edges. Please be patient as we put the finishing touches on.
If you have any questions or comments, please use the Contact Us feature of our web site

If you ride NJ Transit trains…

If you ride NJ Transit trains…

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It’s time you try The Inside Track …our premium offering which goes WAY beyond the features you know
(actually, we have moved some features FROM our “free” service…and put them in the premium product)
So, why the urgency?

1. LAST NIGHT – It was a TERRIBLE commute for many of you. (e.g., NE Corridor)
Yes…the traditional “Clever Commute” service helped…BUT…”Inside Track” has a FANTASTIC feature which lets you browse the Clever Commute alerts on your smartphone (NOT in your inbox)!
  • YOU control “which train lines?” (yes…you can see not just your own line)
  • YOU control “how much history to see?” (1-24 hours)
  • YOU control whether or not you read the new alerts (yes…our technology “hides” messages you have already seen!)
2. Oct 14 – The NJT train schedule will change on that day.
We are putting the finishing touches on an INCREDIBLE NEW FEATURE
We will tell you “what changed?”
That’s right! It’s the end of the tedious process of YOU doing a side-by-side comparison between “old” and “new”.
YES – we do it for you…included in your subscription price.

 

And of course, there is a 30-day free trial…so you have NOTHING to lose.
We have extended the Fall promotion…so the monthly fee is less than a cup of coffee.

An amazing (yet limited-time) offer for NJ Transit riders

An amazing (yet limited-time) offer for NJ Transit riders

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The first 100 people to sign up for our premium service will receive a special back-to-school rate of $2.99 a month (before it returns to $3.99 a month).
(as always: a 30-day free trial…and two months free when you subscribe for the year)
Remember, from now on, you MUST be a member of our premium service to receive…
  • our Labor Day get-away tipsheet
  • advance notification about a BIG event this week which will impact your commute
  • A COOL new feature which means you no longer need to receive your Clever Commute alerts via e-mail
    Imagine: You ONLY see “fresh” alerts…and it faster than e-mail. No more inbox!
    And if that’s not cool enough: you can actually scan/monitor TWO train lines this way!
  • track number history for ALL trains…and advance notification at many other stations
Again – here is the link to sign-up