This is the problem with American public transit

[miketoronto]

I was trying to find a cheap hotel for a friend, for a trip to NYC.
I found some great hotel deals for hotels located on the Jersey side of metro New York City.

To most people, the location would not be bad at all.

-A 3 miles or so from New York City.
-Located in what looks like inner city areas, with tight housing and walkable.
-You can see the NYC skyline.

But one big thing is missing, public transit. I was in shock to to find urban higher density neighbourhoods located so close to NYC and in a city like setting have almost non-existent public transit, unless you could having to drive to a park and ride as having public transit.
20 minute walks or more to reach the closest bus stops, etc. And once you get to the bus stop, buses only come once an hour.

I have to say I find these extremely shocking that even in metro New York, the transit capital of the USA, transit services can be so sub-par in urbanish suburbs.
This points to an American wide problem, which even NYC can't seem to get out of.

[brickell]

Who in that right mind would send someone to Jersey if they were visiting NYC?

For the record I've stayed on the jersey side a couple of times for business and never had a problem getting into the city. The commuter bus network is pretty sweet.

[novawolverine]

Which area are you talking about? This problem shouldn't be as hard to fix in dense, urban, and organized areas than in suburbia.

[miketoronto]

Who in that right mind would send someone to Jersey if they were visiting NYC?

For the record I've stayed on the jersey side a couple of times for business and never had a problem getting into the city. The commuter bus network is pretty sweet.

The fact is Jersey is just as close if not closer than staying in Brooklyn. And if you can save over $200 bucks on a hotel room by staying in an area that is really not far from the city at all, then why not.

That aside the area in question for novawolverine is the Union City area, and Hoboken located west of Pallisades Ave.

[k1052]

NJ is largely a commuter market for NYC, like Long Island is. If you want to visit NYC you should actually stay in NYC.

Cross Hudson transit capacity has always come at a hefty premium also because you have to tunnel instead of bridging.

[Gordo]

The fact is Jersey is just as close if not closer than staying in Brooklyn. And if you can save over $200 bucks on a hotel room by staying in an area that is really not far from the city at all, then why not.

That aside the area in question for novawolverine is the Union City area, and Hoboken located west of Pallisades Ave.

You can probably save $200 on a hotel room staying there because the transit sucks? Just a theory...

[sammyg]

You know NYC has no ability to control anything going on in New Jersey, right?

That said, I've never had a problem getting from Jersey to Manhattan.

[Cirrus]

Right Mike. This one neighborhood of New Jersey that you stayed in has bad transit, and from that you are able to determine the main problem with transit in an entire country of more than 300 million people.
I am always amused at how Mike picks up one fact that might be true in one place and then clings to it as if it's a universal truth everywhere at all times. Some poor sucker refutes him, then he pops back a page or two later and just repeats himself from before.

Very lulzy, Mike. Good trolling. +1 internet for you.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7042149921_bce915ab33_o.jpg

[miketoronto]

Right Mike. This one neighborhood of New Jersey that you stayed in has bad transit, and from that you are able to determine the main problem with transit in an entire country of more than 300 million people.

I did not stay there. Found a good deal in Manhattan. But that aside, I think this points to an issue though.

We are asking people to hop on transit more, etc.
But how can they do this, when the transit sucks.

Given how dense these areas are, they should have buses running to the shopping malls and area attractions at 10 minute intervals, etc.
But they don't. They have a few routes for commuters into Manhattan, and aside from that, everyone drives to go places.

If this does not point to the dismal state of public transit in the American context, I don't know what does.

[electricron]

That aside the area in question for novawolverine is the Union City area, and Hoboken located west of Pallisades Ave.
Pallisades Ave is just two tiny city blocks west of the at grade HBLR line, which you can take to a ferry to cross the Hudson to get into New York City and its many subways. Golly, the light rail line isn't even hidden underground as the subways are in New York City. I can't believe you couldn't find it, admit you weren't really looking for it. Did you even ask the bellhop where the closest transit station was?

Since when has a light rail line not been considered great public transit?

[Doady]

I think New Jersey is an exceptional case, even by US standards. They don't even seem to have a map for their transit system. That really sucks, but I doubt it is the norm for the US.

[electricron]

I think New Jersey is an exceptional case, even by US standards. They don't even seem to have a map for their transit system. That really sucks, but I doubt it is the norm for the US.

Check this link out for a HBLR map!
http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/LightRail/sf_lr_hblr_map.pdf

[emathias]

I did not stay there. Found a good deal in Manhattan. But that aside, I think this points to an issue though.

We are asking people to hop on transit more, etc.
But how can they do this, when the transit sucks.

Given how dense these areas are, they should have buses running to the shopping malls and area attractions at 10 minute intervals, etc.
But they don't. They have a few routes for commuters into Manhattan, and aside from that, everyone drives to go places.

If this does not point to the dismal state of public transit in the American context, I don't know what does.

Given that you conveniently refuse to actually open yourself up to constructive comment by failing to provide the actual address of the hotel, you've created yourself a pretty little strawman, Mike.

Either give the exact addres of the hotel, or stop making absurd claims.

Google Maps does a terrible job of displaying New Jersey transportation, however the directions feature seems to work well, and there seems to be several bus options with frequencies of less than once every 10 minutes *for each line* providing direct access into Manahattan. And those buses will get you into Manhattan is about 30 minutes, which considering it's the most dense, congested area in the country and is separated by an enormous river, seems like a pertty good speed.

[electricron]

The problem with American transit is that it comes in many forms and doesn't always fit what some think public transit should be.....

I live in Granbury with a population of 7,978; the county seat of Hood County in Texas. Here's my public transit options...
City circulator
Granbury CVB, TX - Official Website - City Trolley
County transit
]http://paratransittexas.org/provider/the-transit-system-inc
Van pool
http://www.the-t.com/CommuterRails/VanpoolFAQ/tabid/83/Default.aspx

Just because there isn't a scheduled bus route doesn't mean public transit is not available. Who actually expects a city of less than 10,000 souls to have any choices at all? Yet, I have three.

[Cirrus]

If this does not point to the dismal state of public transit in the American context, I don't know what does.
This points to a dismal state of public transit in one particular neighborhood. It says absolutely nothing about anything in the larger national context.

It's like if I crossed the border into Canada and the first coffee house I ran across was a Starbucks, and I then proclaimed that seeing that one Starbucks proved that the entire nation of Canada has no places to buy coffee except Starbucks.

The statement is so patently false that it is comical.