PARSIPPANY, NJ — If you’re taking the train or bus around Parsippany, do you have to leave home very early in case it’s late or cancelled? New Jersey Transit data can help you make this decision.
Governor Phil Murphy signed a decree in November 2019, prompting NJ Transit to release metrics dating back to January 2017 on how often trains arrive late or are canceled on each line. Murphy intended to offer transparency and potential indications of progress with state transit.
As a result, NJ Transit launched its “Performance in numbers” dashboard, which now contains data on delays and cancellations going back five years. So, is the public transport that goes through Parsippany up to scratch? Here’s what the data shows:
Take the train
Two NJ Transit rails run through the Parsippany area: the Morris & Essex line, which stops at Mount Tabor and Morris Plains stations, and the Montclair-Boonton line, which stops at its namesake Boonton.
In January, 93.4% of NJ Transit trains on the Montclair-Boonton line left each stop on time, meaning they left within six minutes of schedule. The mark is just short of NJ Transit’s goal of 94.7% of trains departing on time.
Over the past five years, trains on the Montclair-Boonton line had the best results in April 2020, when 99.1% of trains departed on time. The line’s worst month in the last five years came in November 2018, when just 77.5% of trains had on-time departures.
During this period, the Montclair-Boonton line only reached the 93.4% mark in a few months: February 2018, April-June 2020 and April and May of last year.
On the Morris & Essex line, 91.1% of trains were on time last month, which is also below NJ Transit’s target.
Over the past five years, Morris & Essex Line trains had the best results in May 2020, when 98.7% of trains departed on time. The line’s worst month in the past five years came in November 2018, when just 78.4% of trains had on-time departures.
Meanwhile, the Morris & Essex line only hit the 94.7% mark in just a few months: February 2018, April to June 2020, September to October 2020, January 2021 and last April.
The bus
NJ Transit does not display as much line-specific data for buses as it does for trains. But overall, buses from major terminals exceeded the agency’s goal of 90% leaving stops within six minutes of the schedule.
Last month, NJ Transit buses from major terminals were on time 95.5% of the time. Here are the hourly departure rates in January from each main terminal:
- Atlantic City Bus Station: 95.6%
- Hoboken Terminal: 98.6%
- Irvington Bus Station: 98.6%
- Newark Penn Station: 97.6%
- Port Authority Bus Station: 94.7%
- Walter Rand Transportation Center: 90%
Here is a comparison of the performance of these buses since 2009:
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