Read the classifieds in this issue to learn about 7 bids & proposals and 7 transit job opportunities!

Castillo is a member of the Passenger Transport Advisory Board.

The year 2010 was another busy one for NJ Transit, as the agency worked in the first half of the year to balance its budget and create a sustainable, fiscally responsible plan that preserves New Jersey’s robust, multimodal transit network.

As a statewide public transportation agency, NJ Transit provides service to nearly one million customers each workday, representing a significant responsibility and accomplishment in our nation’s most densely populated, most-congested state.

Moving forward, we are focused on making NJ Transit an even more attractive and convenient travel option, putting technology to work for our customers and introducing new customer amenities across the system. To that end, this year the system launched a number of initiatives to improve our customers’ overall commute, from the way they access travel information to their experience on board trains and at our facilities. For example:

* We made additional improvements in the spring to the redesigned njtransit.com web site, which launched in October 2009 featuring a new, streamlined look, improved functionality, cleaner layout, and better organization.

* NJ Transit expanded its online service DepartureVision™ to New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal, making access to real-time train departures available at all rail stations. DepartureVision, which launched last year as part of the new web site, allows customers to view train departure screens—including departure time, train status, and track assignment—on a desktop computer or web-enabled mobile device.

* We also launched the Developer Resources section of njtransit.com to provide third-party developers with direct access to service data for use in creating new trip-planning software applications. This section of the web site is designed to encourage the use of NJ Transit schedule data to improve customer access to information through new and innovative applications, including mobile applications, desktop applications, and widgets.

Better Serving the Customer
As part of our ongoing effort to offer more customer amenities, this fall NJ Transit issued a request for proposals from qualified firms to provide wireless broadband (WiFi) Internet service at rail stations and on board trains. This service would enable customers who wish to remain connected and productive during their commute to do so continuously. NJ Transit anticipates awarding a contract in the near future at no cost to the agency.

NJ Transit recently launched a 90-day Quiet Commute pilot program on its busiest trains—select Northeast Corridor express trains—to test the feasibility of offering the amenity on our system. The Quiet Commute program is an effort to balance the needs of those customers who wish to stay connected while en route with those who want to relax or work in a quiet atmosphere without distractions.

After receiving overwhelmingly positive customer and employee feedback, NJ Transit announced that it will significantly expand the Quiet Commute pilot next year. Beginning Jan. 3, 2011, all peak-period, peak-direction NJ Transit trains that begin or end their trips at New York Penn Station of Newark Penn Station will include Quiet Commute cars, including the Midtown Direct, North Jersey Coast, and Raritan Valley lines, as well as additional Northeast Corridor trains. As in the initial pilot, the agency will designate the first and last cars of each train for Quiet Commute, as they are easily identifiable, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

In October, NJ Transit introduced its “My Bus” system, which provides bus customers with unprecedented access to schedule information while on the go. My Bus enables any customer who has the ability to send a text message to get schedule information for the more than 19,000 bus stops all over the state.

Based on a system of bus stop ID numbers—unique five-digit numbers NJ Transit has assigned to each of its bus stops—My Bus lets customers who have cell phones with SMS (text messaging) capabilities receive bus schedule information for a specific stop directly to their phones. Customers may text their five-digit bus stop ID to “MyBus” (69287), and My Bus will respond within seconds via text message with the routes and times for the next scheduled trips that serve that bus stop.

As part of this program, NJ Transit is installing new My Bus signs at bus stops statewide, displaying the bus stop ID and instructions for how to use this system. Sign installation is now underway in Atlantic County and will be implemented across the state by the end of 2011. In the interim, customers may obtain their bus stop ID online at njtransit.com/mybus.

So far, the agency is hearing positive customer comments about My Bus and averaging about 1,000 queries a day—a number that is expected to increase as more signs are installed and awareness of the program grows.

As the year winds down and we move into a new year, NJ Transit and its board of directors will remain focused on providing convenient, reliable service to our customers and looking for ways to improve the overall travel experience by introducing additional amenities and tapping into the latest technology.

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