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mmmmyah t1_j505j7w wrote

I’m not sure why you are interested in the neighborhoods you named because they aren’t really transit deserts .. places like Greenville more fit the description .. I live in MSQ and my walk to the JSQ path is about 15 minutes so I usually just walk when going to the city .. if commuting within JC I use VIA or the bus .. late nights all of jersey is a transit desert so we need buses and via to run 24x7

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North_Emu8686 OP t1_j506zfu wrote

How often do you use VIA and/or the bus? Do you have any frustrations with using these types of transit? Also, are there any frustrations with the walk to JSQ? For some, 15mins is outside of their zone for proximity to a train.

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mmmmyah t1_j508syp wrote

Re: city commute I use the bus when I’m tired of walking maybe once every couple of weeks, often when returning home .. VIA needs more vehicles the wait time is often 15 minutes or more. The only frustration with the walk to jsq is when it snows and people / the city don’t do a good job cleaning the sidewalk and the huge water puddles at street corners … there’s of course the bikers who don’t obey red lights and traffic signs that can run you over

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North_Emu8686 OP t1_j58psg6 wrote

Would you be more or less likely to use an on demand travel service ( eg. Via) over bus service if there were to be minimal to no wait time? Also, how often do you use on demand travel services like VIA?

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mmmmyah t1_j58tym1 wrote

Via is almost the same price as a bus and yes if there was minimal wait time, absolutely. Via has a much better app user interface for live tracking your incoming ride (very similar to Uber and Lyft). I saw other comments about bus tracking not being that great - at least 50% of that is the clunky Nj transit app .. when you do finally hit the dozen clicks to figure out the arriving bus the bus live tracking is pretty accurate

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North_Emu8686 OP t1_j61kphw wrote

If VIA were to cost 2x more than a single bus ride and have minimal to no wait time, would your use of VIA remain the same, increase or decrease?

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North_Emu8686 OP t1_j58pc08 wrote

The neighborhoods listed were included simply due to inclusivity and the nature of travel in urban environments. Having access to a bus line <15mins away is likely not sufficient to meet all travel needs or preferences of a community. Also, when someone reconsiders living in a neighborhood because access to a train or light rail is 15mins away can indicate that more can be done to make living in those areas more convenient for all.

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mmmmyah t1_j58xfox wrote

Ok I was just surprised by the glaring omission of Greenville - in fact I believe the inspiration for VIA was spawned by NJ transit stopping service to a critical bus line there. You might also find this paper of interest that defines the transit desert index - I haven’t had a chance to look at their data collected. Finally can you shed some light / provide some context around your questions and why you are asking them - it would help us help you better. Are you someone planning to move to JC? Alternatively do you live in JC and thinking of relocating ? or, do you work for the city ? Or do you work for one of the transit companies ? App? Some other reason? Also have you talked to the jc dept of transportation to see what data they are willing to share ?

https://dc.uwm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=ijger

Thanks

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North_Emu8686 OP t1_j61shey wrote

As background, my wife and I moved to Downtown JC last year from LIC Queens. We recently started looking for another apartment and found a great option in Hamilton Park. Although the apartment was nice, we did not prefer the 15min walk to the PATH after considering weather conditions (bad snow days, rain, summer) and the time it would add to our overall commute. After not moving forward with the apartment, I started considering possible solutions to help people in similar (hence some of the neighborhoods listed) and worse situations. The questions posed here are for data gathering and research to help understand the problem before identifying any final solution. Thank you for sharing the paper. Very helpful. I am also reviewing the JC transit study conducted in 2022 on transit issues across the entire city and recommendations.

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