How To Get to Work for the Next Week

Help your neighbors find the best routes to work during suspended trains and delayed buses by adding your route in the comments.

For updates on this story, check the Patch's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. Updated 1:57 p.m. New Jersey Transit has suspended the Morris and Essex train lines until further notice.  According to its website, "flooding in Kearny has caused rail washouts making rail traffic impassable." *NJ Transit's twitter account stated on Thurday, "I can assure you it will not be more than a week, possibly sooner." Help your neighbors find the best routes to work with suspended trains lines and delayed buses by adding your route in the comments. Add an estimated time so residents can plan. With the train lines out of service, NJ Transit provided a list of bus lines that parallel train lines to accommodate those who need to travel to New York …

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Special Train Service Offered for New Year's Eve Celebrations

There will be extra trains after midnight for those returning home from New York.

If you want to get into Manhattan for New Year's Eve festivities, NJ Transit is offering extra service to help you take part. The transportation authority will operate late-night trains after midnight on New Year's Day and also late-night bus service from New York to accommodate those who are returning home from celebrations. On Friday, trains will operate on a modified weekday schedule on all rail lines with additional New York-bound trains between 10 a.m. and noon on several lines, including the Morris & Essex Line, which serves Millburn-Short Hills. Some early-morning trains will not run on Friday. Bus schedules vary by route, and riders should check timetables or visit njtransit.com for schedule information. After midnight on Jan. 1, …

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Holiday Season 2010

Early Getaway Train Service Available Today

Plus family fares are available starting tonight through the new year.

NJ Transit is offering early getaway service on Thursday for people trying to leave New York early because of the holiday weekend. Additionally, the transit company is extending the Family Super Saver Fare starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday through 6 a.m. on Jan. 3. The special fare, which is usually limited to weekends, allows children 11 years old and younger to travel free with each fare-paying adult. Trains are operating on a weekday schedule on Thursday with early getaway service starting at 1 p.m. from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal on most lines, including the Morris & Essex lines, which serve Millburn-Short Hills. A timetable for the extra service can be found on njtransit.com. On Friday, Christmas Eve…

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Maplewood Commits to Wyoming Jitney until July

The transportation committee recommended ending the service in Millburn's Wyoming section on Jan. 1.

Wyoming area residents will still have access to Maplewood's jitney service to the train station through at least July despite a recomendation by Maplewood transportation officials to discontinue the service. Maplewood Transportation Committee Chairman Charles Bibbins said during the Maplewood Township Committee meeting this week Millburn ridership has remained anemic despite a promise by Millburn Township officials to promote the service this past summer and fall. This fall they sent free passes to Wyoming residents to encourage ridership. Millburn officials have begun subsidizing the service at a rate of $1,000 per year, but the jitney in Millburn continues to operate at a deficit, he said. Millburn residents and jitney riders …

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Committee, Residents Face Off on Commuter Parking

An ordinance to authorize spending to design a parking garage prompts a lively discussion.

The Millburn Township Committee continues to move forward with gathering information to determine how it should address commuter parking, but residents expressed displeasure with the process Tuesday night. The committee approved spending up to $500,000 on design work for a parking garage for the Millburn Train Station during its meeting Tuesday night. Several committee members said authorizing the funding was necessary for its request for proposals on providing designs for the garage. "We need to identify where the funds will come from," said Township Administrator Tim Gordon on the process of sending out a RFP. "Sometimes it comes from the operating budget, sometimes we need to (issue a bonding ordinance)." The committee approved sending …

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Committee Members Don't Express Support for Short Hills Parking Plan

Several Millburn Township Committee members say they want to hear alternatives to address the commuter parking needs.

Millburn Township Committee members aren't expressing support in interviews for a plan that would remove trees for parking at the Short Hills Train Station. Township officials are exploring a plan to change the parallel parking on Chatham Road to head-in parking, but no discussion or decision on the plan is expected until 2011. Orange ribbons were tied around the trees along the side of the road closest to the train tracks to show residents what would need to be removed to make way for the parking. The plan would add 40-60 parking spaces. It's part of a subcommittee's study on adding commuter parking, which also includes studying possibly constructing a parking garage downtown near the Millburn Train Station. Since the ribbons were placed …

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Midtown Direct Diverted to Hoboken After Service Disruption

Wires were damaged, causing the problem on the trains.

It may be a difficult commute home from New York for Millburn-Short Hills residents. Service on NJ Transit trains has been suspended between New York Penn Station and Newark Wednesday, and Midtown Direct trains are being diverted to Hoboken. Trains are not running in either direction due to overhead electrical wire damage on the Portal Bridge, and repairs are expected to take at least several hours. Trains on the Midtown Direct, which serves Millburn-Short Hills on the Morris & Essex lines, is expected to be diverted to Hoboken for the remainder of the day. Update: As of 2:30 p.m., NJ Transit reported limited service was restored to New York Penn Station on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast lines, but Midtown Direct …

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Thanksgiving

NJ Transit Offering Early Getaway Service Today

The early service is offered to commuters trying to get home earlier the day before Thanksgiving.

It's the so called busiest travel day of the year Wednesday, and NJ Transit is offering early getaway service for those who plan to get home a little earlier. Millburn-Short Hills is served by two train stations on the Morris & Essex lines with service to Hoboken and Midtown Direct trains to New York Penn Station. It also has bus service on Millburn Avenue to Newark. On Wednesday, NJ Transit is offering "early getaway" service from New York Penn Station, Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal starting at 1 p.m. on the Morris & Essex lines. Other train lines have similar early service. More details on the schedule are available on the NJ Transit website. NJ Transit will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on Thursday for …

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Township Looking for Train Station Concession Manager

It's been more than a year since a concession stand was located at the Short Hills Train Station

Township officials are looking for a way to provide concession services for commuters at the Short Hills Train Station. The Millburn Township Committee voted recently to send out a request for proposals for someone to manage any concessions that could be placed in the train station building, which is owned by the township. Township Administrator Tim Gordon said officials have received a number of inquiries from individuals interested in having concessions at the Short Hills train station ranging from shoe shine to food to newspapers. But township officials do not want to be a landlord because of the issues associated with it like — tracking down rent payments, he said. So instead, officials are looking for someone to manage the concessions…

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Quiet Commute Coming to Midtown Direct in January

Quiet cars will be offered during peak times on trains going to and from New York.

Millburn-Short Hills train commuters who head to New York and wanted a quiet car will get one in January. NJ Transit announced this week it would expand the Quiet Commute service in January to trains that begin or end their trip in New York Penn Station or Newark Penn Station during peak periods. Quiet Commute cars will be offered on trains that arrive in Newark or New York between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and trains that depart Newark or New York between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The program now includes Midtown Direct Trains, which serve Millburn-Short Hills on the Morris & Essex lines. The expansion also covers North Jersey Coast and Raritan Valley lines in addition to more Northeast Corridor trains. The program started on the Northeast Corridor …

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