That's interesting Warren. NJ Transit never felt the need to alter the old bus/trolley routes because the population demographic's never changed all that much, it's just gotten denser.
Interestingly, most of the main secondary roads in North Jersey still follow the paths, more or less, of the roads that existed in Colonial times.
Drive down Paramus Road, Kinderkamack Road, or Shralenburg Road and you're following in the footsteps of Washington's army.
Flintlock76 Thanks so much for the story David! New Jersey Transit rail operations are still a bit chaotic, but they are making efforts. I look at the North Jersey papers on line just to keep abreast of what's going on up there. Don't know why I should care about it at this point, but let's just say I do and let it go at that. It's ironic, but todays NJ Transit buses in North Jersey still follow the old Public Service bus routes, which followed the old Public Service trolley routes! So we can say North Jersey is "haunted" by the ghosts of those long ago trolleys! New Jersey politics "rough and tumble?" More like total chaos and confusion, but this isn't the time or place.
Thanks so much for the story David!
New Jersey Transit rail operations are still a bit chaotic, but they are making efforts. I look at the North Jersey papers on line just to keep abreast of what's going on up there. Don't know why I should care about it at this point, but let's just say I do and let it go at that.
It's ironic, but todays NJ Transit buses in North Jersey still follow the old Public Service bus routes, which followed the old Public Service trolley routes! So we can say North Jersey is "haunted" by the ghosts of those long ago trolleys!
New Jersey politics "rough and tumble?" More like total chaos and confusion, but this isn't the time or place.
We're experiencing that here in the DC metro area as our current bus lines replicate former bus and even older street car lines. Even our METRO's Orange Line shadows the route of the former W&OD rail run to Vienna but not to the W&OD's original Bluemont VA destination; the W&OD Trail does that. METRO's Silver Line extension will bring service to Ashburn VA when completed.
There has been talk about doing a major restructuring of METRO's core bus lines: the current configuration replicates all of those former bus/street car routes. Baltimore recently totally reworked its entire bus network to better serve the current regional demographics; I don't know how well it's working but it was a chance as buses can always be easily reconfigured versus rail options.
“Things of quality have no fear of time.”
Great story. I can just imagine the ordeal and shenanigans to get where they are today. It must have seemed hopeless at many times.
Sort of reminds me of your Long Distance passenger train comments with yourself against the tide.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.