New times for the drivers to ignore, lovely

On-time performance is way up on 119 to nearly 100% according to a recent article. Not like pre-July service

It has been great lately I must say

Couldn’t be happier about the 119 additions. It’s so needed. That route is my lifeline and it gets PACKED at times.

Maybe this isn't the right place, but how the hell do you actually find bus options? I can look on NJ transit, but I can only seem to get the JSQ trains on there.

Like, if I know there is a bus stop at a certain corner how do I figure out where that goes and when? Or, if I know I want to get to a certain area of a certain town that I know has bus stops, but not a station, is there a good way to look that up?

Or, do I just have to already know the line somehow?

For example, I know there is a bus stop at Hamilton Park, I know I can get on that and go to Port Authority. How would I go about getting those directions online (without already knowing the line number).

Sorry if this is all basic and I am a moron.

Related:

No. 126 Weekdays: 10 trips will be added to New York between 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM, with seven of these trips serving Clinton Street.

No idea how many of these will include the HP stop

NJ Transit app has live tracking for your bus stop; each stop has a identifying #. you can look up the stop and see which busses are coming at any given time.

however from your post stating that it 'only shows the JSQ trains' it seems you are looking at departures for the PATH train, which is an entirely different system from NJ Transit (and NYC Transit). the app for the PATH (ridePATH) only has PATH departure info, youll need to download NJ Transit for busses and non-PATH trains (including the light rail)...its actually a pretty good app for finding and buying tickets for busses!

Thank you, but that is not my problem (I may be a moron, but not so big a moron I don't know the difference between a train and a bus)

Say I go to the NJ Transit site:

https://www.njtransit.com/bus-to

I know there is a bus stop at Hamilton Park, but I don't know the line number (Hypothetical).

What do I do to figure out when that bus arrives and where it goes?

I ask because I know there are a lot of bus stops in the area that aren't JSQ, but I have no idea to source a good way of how to get to them, or what buses service them on what schedule.

If I already know the exact stop (by #) or the schedule it is fine. How do I discover routes if I just know the area I would like to arrive in, and it's not a station?

Massive game changer. I almost never go into the city on weekends because it's such a pain to time the bus when it runs once an hour. Every half hour is a huge step in the right direction

use the transit app in that situation. it will tell you the bus lines in the immediate area as well as the time each bus will arrive.

it will also show available time for the light rail and path trains as well. if you do not know anything, that is the best app since it will show you the entire route for the bus if you want to see where it goes.

Got it. That does seem to work OK (rider tools --> trip planner). Thank you.

I wonder why that functionality isn't available on their website? Seems like maybe you'd want people to plan trips without an app as well.

WORD, sorry if that sounded patronizing lol, there is a VERY wide range of understanding of the area when people get here.

yes as op said, apps like transit and Google maps are good for finding the actual bus stop intersection and routes that stop there. from there you can look it up on the njt mybus tool.

but you're not crazy, they simply leave out half the stops on "paper" schedules in the interest of UI friendliness, and it drives me nuts too; I used to just use the closest stop and estimate before the mybus tool which should have every stop.

yeah, the app works well. it does seem like if you don't know the app, you'll have to use google maps or something similar but that only tells you immediate timings of train and buses.

Frequency is the key to all good transit, especially if, god forbid, you have to transfer.

Is there a way to pay for the bus without cash yet?

NJTransit app allows you to buy tickets with credit/debit.

As long as we are doing dumb questions: I live close to JFK south of JSQ and sometimes take the 10 or 119 to JSQ to catch the Path. But I have never tried to take the 119 all the way to Port Authority. What happens at JSQ if you are on the 119 from, say Communipaw? Do you just stay in your seat? Do you have to get off? Also how many zones is it from south of Communipaw to Port Authority?

The NJ Transit bus system is very confusing for new and infrequent users. Especially when it comes to calculating the correct fare.

And I say that as someone who’s had very little trouble riding buses in other countries where I don’t even speak the language.

wait, what's your question lol? if you get on at Communipaw and want to go Port Authority? Well I think it's like 4 Zones Interstate so you just show that to the bus driver. One time, my dad wanted to get off at Willow + 19th St since he showed a 2 zone intrastate pass, but the bus was so crowded he couldn't get off so he went all the way to Port Authority and the driver didn't notice.

not gonna lie, my butt hurts from sitting for that long since the 119 is making constant stops picking up people at every stop lol. I don't do it that often.

100%, the zone-based fare requires a solid few minutes of looking at the map, reading basically everything, and basically drawing your own conclusions. the exact opposite of what a transit system (especially in diverse places) should be: user friendly.

I'm not interested in skipping out on zones, just wondering what the experience is like if you are taking the 119 through JSQ. Can you just stay in your seat on the bus? Sometimes I just prefer a one seat ride even if it takes longer.

well, if you paid correctly you just stay in your seat. I've personally never taken the 119 to port authority, but have taken it from port authority to a little past Communipaw.

Yes, oddly I have also taken it that direction once, and I must have been absorbed in reading or something and didn't notice if we stopped inside JSQ or went past it on JFK.

it’s all part of the NJTransit experience 🥰🥰

I've taken the 119 to PA a bunch, it stops for a minute at JSQ to pick up people, then continues along the route, so no need to get off

Oh man it's about time they increased the 119. That line is always packed from Port Authority.

Def use the app. Once you find the bus that takes you where you need to go and if that destination is something you'll be going to often (like work or school or grocery store), you can Favorite that bus and it's easier to look up their schedule that way. Also, I pair it texting NJ Transit when I get to my stop. Each stop has its own identifying number. Look on the sign and you text the number with the bus stop number and it will tell you what buses will be heading there in the next hour. Handy for when the buses inevitably are running late.

On Google maps on your phone click the bus stop and the route will show up. Doesn't show up on desktop