whodisacct t1_j5zvag8 wrote
From where I live it’s $30 RT for a 90 minute ride ride. I’m usually with my entire family. $150 RT for all of us not including any subway ride.
Or I can drive (45-60 min) to where I need to be. $15 toll, $20 gas, $50 for parking.
3+ people in my car and the car is cheaper.
ownage516 OP t1_j5zvlss wrote
Of course! It depends on the use case. I never said everyone should be doing it
whodisacct t1_j5zyufn wrote
I wish it worked out better for me, honestly. I’d much rather sit on a train than drive.
bensonr2 t1_j605y9b wrote
I agree if you are commuting to nyc, philly city center mass transit is the way to go.
But as much as I love trains NJ Transit suuuuuucks. Unless you are the first few stops on the line usually the commuter bus lines are faster; often significantly.
I'm out in Morris county, less then 45 min into Manhattan without traffic. Train is over 90 minutes. Usually the independent bus line, even with tunnel traffic, is significantly less. Worst case scenario if there is really really bad traffic its 90 min, basically the same as the train if it has no delays.
remarkability t1_j60w1lr wrote
Small group discounts and fare credits would be such game changers. FWIW, if you have kids 5-11, they use the half price discounted fare (but are free on weekends/holidays the night before until the early morning after), and 0-4 are always free. Seniors 62+ and disabled also get that discount, which really can knock family costs down.
With adults, I’ve use the 10-trip (for bus) and 20-trip 20% discount packs as group pseudo-discounts. Groups of 8+ have official 25% discounts, but they’re annoying to file for.
Sometimes a car just is better if you’re filling it up, have people with mobility problems, or have inconvenient endpoints (don’t forget maintenance and depreciation). Options are good to have.
bensonr2 t1_j64dhn6 wrote
IDK why you are getting downvotes on this. Look I want to support public transit but for family trips taking NJ Transit train all the way makes no sense.
That said I will try to avoid driving into Manhattan if I can. My go to is to park at Secaucus junction, I think that's usually about 25 bucks. Then to just take the train from Secaucus is only a couple bucks each. So even with gas the Turnpike toll its significantly cheaper and faster then taking the train from our local station.
Even our relatives who live by stations that are only a few stops from Penn it usually faster and cheaper then just 2 train tickets.
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