NJ Transit Plans to Spend $15 Million Offering Alternatives for Penn Station Commuters

New Jersey Transit officials estimate 7,400 customers a day will be diverted to Hoboken this summer between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. due to work at Penn Station.

At a legislative hearing Wednesday, NJ Transit officials outlined the contingency plans and costs. 

Commuters on the Morris and Essex lines will bear the brunt of the schedule changes. While Midtown Direct service will run to Penn Station — from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. — after that, service will terminate in Hoboken instead of continuing on to Manhattan.

From there customers will have a few options.

There will be extra ferries, private buses and extra PATH service. NJ Transit estimates commuters taking light rail will spend an extra 30 minutes getting to the city, while those taking the ferry could expect to spend an extra 45 minutes commuting. 

To sweeten the deal, NJ Transit will offer discounted fares of up to 63 percent and will cross honor tickets for other transit options.

The total cost estimated cost to NJ Transit is $15 million. At Wednesday's hearing, NJ Transit Executive Director Steven Santoro said the agency isn't sure how it'll cover those costs, but added it may seek compensation from Amtrak.

Amtrak's work at Penn Station will run from July 10 through Sept. 1.

During Wednesday's hearing, New Jersey Senator Loretta Weinberg said she was disappointed with how NJ Transit settled on it's service plan, and questioned why legislators and the public didn't have a chance to comment publicly. "I would hate to draw an analogy, but NJ Transit is beginning to sound a little like the old Port Authority of New York and New Jersey," she said. "This is completely unacceptable."