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[NJ]Parallel transit routes in southern Jersey City

 
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N4 Jamaica




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 858
Location: Long Island

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:19 pm    Post subject: [NJ]Parallel transit routes in southern Jersey City Reply with quote

When the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail was planned maybe thirty years ago, I bemoaned its shoreline route. It was no Jackson car, running through the thick of population and small stores, it was a borderline route. Like schools and parishes adjacent to Kill Van Kull, you cannot get pupils, parishioners, or commuters out of the water, which provides only fish. So HBLR was built, and it succeeds in part because it has fast stretches, one being the run to Richard Street near Fulton Avenue.
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Unlike sprawling Levittown, southern Jersey City makes for successful transit. HBLR can serve people only a few blocks on one side of its tracks, but it is less than a mile to Kennedy Boulevard. What buses now ply the north-south streets in between? Did Garfield Avenue host a route? From 1946 to 1950, cousin Kenny relied on Public Service 81 on Ocean Avenue to get him to St. Peter's Prep. Ocean Avenue also hosts NJT 6 to Journal Square. Was the #6 originally a one-route IBOA?
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Next over is Martin Luther King Blvd with NJT 87, the Jackson car Dad and I rode quite a bit, Hoboken to Winfield Avenue and beyond to the carhouse.
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Next is Bergen Avenue, with an IBOA. After 1960, "Need police" orange lights were added to the roof.
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Next is Hudson or Kennedy Blvd, with a mixture of intrastate and interstate buses and now jitneys to Journal Square.
All the above routes are within 0.7 mile from the HBLR on the CNJ main line.
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Jump two very long blocks west, and you find the buses of West Side Avenue.
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Which street did the Greenville and Lafayette use?
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe:

I have a book I mentioned to you awhile ago, that features historic photos of Jersey City, going from the 1940's through the 1960's.'

Several of these photos show "Greenville" buses.

There is one (circa-1950) which shows two "GREENVILLE" buses and two "MONTGOMERY & WEST SIDE" buses at the old PRR terminal at Exchange Place, after the ferries to Cortlandt St. were shut down (PS had its own off-street terminal at Exchange Place, across from the PRR station)

Another 1950's photo shows one of "Greenville's" REO buses, at the intersection of Summit & Fairmount Avenues.

There is also an early-1950's photo showing a "Greenville" MACK (looks like a C-45) making a right-hand turn at the intersection of Communipaw & Pacific Avenues.

One photo from 1952 shows a "MONTGOMERY & WEST SIDE" Old Look at the intersection of the State Highway & Baldwin Avenue.

There is also a photo (prior to 1949) showing a PS Old Look and Compromise-roof streetcar on Bergen Avenue at Vroom St.

"Red Buses" (M&WS) buses are also seen running on West Side Avenue, near Virginia avenue.

An undated photo (late 40's?) shows an unidentified WHITE 798 in front of the Republic Container Corporation, at the intersection of Hudson Boulevard & Gates Avenue.

Regarding the HBLR, the "main line" uses a good chunk of ex-Jersey Central ROW northwards through Bayonne to Jersey City; the "West Side Avenue" branch utilizes (in part) ex-Jersey Central "DIRECT LINE" right-of-way........

"NYO"
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are two views of the PS terminal at Exchange Place, Jersey City; buses are signed for the #14, #16, and #1 (streetcars also used this terminal until 1949)

Note, too, the sign for the #43; this was a streetcar line until 1938, when it was converted to ASV.

On the far left is a PS trailer car body being used as a waiting shelter (PS retired their ESSEX Division trailers in 1935; many ended up as waiting shelters, such as this)

The #16 (like the #17, which ran from the DL&W terminal at Hoboken) ran right up the block from us in Union City, back in the 60's, on Summit Avenue.

The PS terminal at Exchange Place was demolished sometime during the 1960's.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4233

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?4234

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Remember, also, that today's HBLR is far more of a rapid transit/commuter line than a "local" streetcar system.

Too, recall that, 60 years ago, Jersey City and its surrounding areas were well-served by the buses of many "indy" companies.

GREYHOUND then still called at Journal Square, back then, and, also, INTER-CITY's #97 (JSQ-PATERSON) and DE CAMP's #22 (JSQ-CALDWELL).

Back in our day, no one could have envisioned a future where Jersey City's bus routes would become but a fraction of what they were at the time.....

"NYO"
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22281
Location: NEW JOISEY

PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Remember, also, that today's HBLR is far more of a rapid transit/commuter line than a "local" streetcar system.

Too, recall that, 60 years ago, Jersey City and its surrounding areas were well-served by the buses of many "indy" companies.

GREYHOUND then still called at Journal Square, back then, and, also, INTER-CITY's #97 (JSQ-PATERSON) and DE CAMP's #22 (JSQ-CALDWELL).

Back in our day, no one could have envisioned a future where Jersey City's bus routes would become but a fraction of what they were at the time.....

"NYO"
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