EARLY GETAWAY SERVICE IN ADVANCE OF INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY
June 28, 2019
NEWARK, NJ -- NJ TRANSIT will adjust Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) service on Thursday, July 4, as Jersey City hosts its 6th Annual Jersey City Freedom Fireworks Festival at Exchange Place. The Independence Day event, which is expected to attract 150,000 attendees, will run from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. featuring live music and an evening fireworks display.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Beverages of any kind, in any type of container, open or closed, will not be permitted on board train/bus/light rail cars on July 4. This policy will be strictly enforced. As a reminder, beverages of any kind are not permitted at any time on board buses regardless of the event.
In the interest of pedestrian safety around Exchange Place due to the expected crowd, beginning at 10 a.m. on July 4, HBLR will adjust the routes which normally travel through and serve Exchange Place by terminating one stop prior to the Exchange Place station.
At the request of public safety officials, beginning at 10 a.m., light rail vehicles will terminate at both Essex Street and Harborside stations.
June 28, 2019
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT will offer “early getaway’’ rail and bus service on Wednesday, July 3, for the benefit of customers leaving work early in anticipation of the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4. In addition, there will be service adjustments throughout the NJ TRANSIT system on July 4.
To help speed the getaway, customers are reminded of the convenience the MyTix feature on the NJ TRANSIT mobile app offers to purchase tickets.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Beverages of any kind, in any type of container, open or closed, will not be permitted on board train/bus/light rail vehicles all day on July 4. This policy will be strictly enforced. As a reminder, beverages of any kind are not permitted at any time on board buses regardless of the event.
On Wednesday, July 3:
- Beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m., extra outbound service will operate on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast, Raritan Valley, Morris & Essex, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines to accommodate early customer departures. Visit njtransit.com for details.
- NOTE: Due to summer work affecting peak period service to/from Penn Station New York, getaway service has been adjusted, especially on the North Jersey Coast Line.
Customers are strongly encouraged to buy roundtrip tickets from ticket vending machines in advance of the fireworks event.
NORTHBOUND:
SOUTHBOUND:
Shuttle service between Tonnelle Avenue and Hoboken and between Harborside and Hoboken will operate every 20 minutes.
DURING THIS TIME, ALL CUSTOMERS TRAVELING FROM HOBOKEN AND NEWPORT TO EXCHANGE PLACE ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO USE PATH.
Normal HBLR service will resume when the New Jersey Transit Police Department determines it is safe to reopen Exchange Place to light rail traffic.
Light rail vehicles can safely transport a maximum of 3,000 customers every hour in each direction. Current estimates forecast attendance to potentially be in excess of 150,000 people.
Customers who don’t plan to attend the festival are strongly advised not to travel toward Exchange Place as Many bus lines will feature service adjustments throughout the day. Visit njtransit.com for more information.
On Independence Day, Thursday, July 4:
- Trains will operate on a weekend/major holiday schedule on all lines. Note: A special holiday rail schedule (no busing) will be in effect on the Gladstone Branch.
- Most NJ TRANSIT bus routes will operate on either a Saturday or Sunday schedule. Some routes will not operate or will follow a special schedule. Visit the Bus Service Holiday Guide at njtransit.com for your individual bus route service level.
- Newark Light Rail will operate on a Saturday schedule.
- River LINE will operate on a weekend schedule.
- Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) will operate on a modified schedule due to the Jersey City Freedom Fireworks Festival at Exchange Place. Please visit njtransit.com for specifics.
- Southbound service from Tonnelle Avenue will terminate at Harborside, operating every 15 minutes.
- All northbound service from 8th Street or Liberty State Park will operate every 15 minutes and will terminate at Essex Street.
- All light rail systems will operate on regular weekday schedules.
Friday, July 5
All NJ TRANSIT rail, bus and light rail lines will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
Summer Savings
The Independence Day holiday is a great time for customers to take advantage of NJhey will experience significant vehicle and pedestrian congestion.
Travel tips
- Download NJ TRANSIT’s Mobile App for easy access to service information through customized push notifications, advisories, ticket purchases via MyTix, real-time train departure status through DepartureVision, real-time or scheduled bus arrivals through MyBus, and other features to assist you during your commute.
- Check Schedules in Advance: Customers should sign up for My Transit alerts to get updated service information sent directly to cell phones or email accounts.
- Allow Extra Travel Time: Attendees planning to utilize HBLR service to or through Jersey City will encounter overcrowding and may experience extensive delays due to high customer volumes, along with significant pedestrian and traffic congestion around stations and tracks. With this, HBLR customers should build extra time into travel plans.
- Ticketing: Customers are strongly advised to buy roundtrip tickets from ticket vending machines in advance of the event.
- Check for Updates: Listen to news media for service updates, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information, or access our Twitter feed at @NJTRANSIT.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJTRANSIT’s discounted travel packages to destinations including the Jersey Shore, Six Flags and Monmouth Park.
- Beach Packages: Board a train anywhere on NJ TRANSIT's rail system (excluding Atlantic City Rail Line stations) and save up to $5.50 on admission to one of four beaches — Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove or Bradley Beach —by purchasing a Beach Pass that includes round-trip train fare and a discounted beach admission for one price at NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Beach Package”) or at ticket windows.
- Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari or Hurricane Harbor: Save up to $40 by purchasing round-trip bus transportation and park admission together.
NJ TRANSIT provides express bus service to Six Flags from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) in New York and Newark Penn Station. - Monmouth Park: Save $5.50 when you travel to Monmouth Park Racetrack. Simply purchase a package to Monmouth Park from NJ TRANSIT ticket vending machines (choose “Beach/Monmouth Park Packages” and select “Monmouth Park Racetrack”) or at ticket windows from any NJ TRANSIT station except Atlantic City Rail Line stations and receive round-trip transportation, Grandstand Admission and an official track program for $3.50 plus the regular cost of a round-trip rail ticket.
Visit njtransit.com/summer for more information on NNJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.
NJ TRANSIT summer travel deals.
NJ TRANSIT is a proud partner with Monmouth County Tourism. Head to visitmonmouth.com to learn more about beaches, restaurants, shopping and all of the offerings of historic Monmouth County.
Family SuperSaver Fare
Every weekend, families riding NJ TRANSIT can save with the Family SuperSaver Fare, which allows two children ages 5-11 to travel free with each fare-paying adult. (Up to three children ages 4 and under always travel free with each fare paying adult.) NJ TRANSIT is extending the Family SuperSaver Fare for the Independence Day holiday, and this policy will be in effect from 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3 through 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 8.
Travel tips
- Download NJ TRANSIT’s Mobile App for easy access to service information through customized push notifications, advisories, ticket purchases via MyTix, real-time train departure status through DepartureVision, real-time or scheduled bus arrivals through MyBus, and other features to assist you during your commute.
- Check Schedules in Advance: Plan your trip online to take advantage of extra trains and buses.
- Stay connected during your commute through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information. While we make every effort to respond to comments posted on our social media channels, we recommend that you contact our Customer Service team directly with critical or time-sensitive issues.
- Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
- @NJTRANSIT_NEC
- @NJTRANSIT_NJCL
- @NJTRANSIT_ME
- @NJTRANSIT_MOBO
- @NJTRANSIT_MBPJ
- @NJTRANSIT_PVL
- @NJTRANSIT_RVL
- @NJTRANSIT_ACRL
- Facebook: facebook.com/NJTRANSIT
- YouTube Channel: TheNewJerseyTransit
- Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
- Allow Extra Travel Time: Traffic congestion during the long holiday weekend may affect bus travel times especially on routes using the Garden State Parkway heading down the shore, so customers should plan accordingly.
- Ticketing: Purchase round-trip tickets at the start of your trip to speed your return. Use the MyTix feature on the NJ TRANSIT mobile app, ticket vending machines or see a ticket agent, if available, to avoid possible surcharges. Bus customers departing Port Authority Bus Terminal are reminded that tickets must be purchased before boarding the bus.
- Luggage: Travel as light as possible. Passengers with luggage or packages should use the overhead racks or designated luggage spaces. On multilevel trains, those with bags should use the mezzanine levels at the ends of each car.
About NJ TRANSIT
NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 251 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.
This document and others are available for translation on njtransit.com.