Train engineers in New Jersey’s huge commuter rail system went on strike early Friday, leaving its 350,000 daily riders either working from home or seeking other means to transit the state or cross the Hudson River into New York City.
People who normally rely on New Jersey Transit took to buses, cars, taxis and boats for the morning rush hour after trains ground to a halt at a minute past midnight.
Some left extra early to avoid problems. A few, unaware that the strike was underway, showed up and waited for trains that weren’t going to arrive.
Early indications were that the strike hadn’t resulted in major traffic jams or epic lines to get onto buses. Friday’s rail commute into New York from New Jersey is typically the lightest of the week.
But there was some confusion and extra costs as passengers tried to figure out alternate routes in a system that, besides helping New Jerseyans get to work or into Manhattan to see a Knicks game or a Broadway show, also helps New Yorkers get to Newark Airport or concerts at the Meadowlands.