River Line service improvement??

I hear rumors that the River Line will go to 15-minute headways in June. Being in Baltimore, my ear isn't too close to the ground, but can anyone verify and hopefully supply more details?

Also, jumping across the state, has an opening date yet been set for the Hudson-Bergen extension to Weehawken?

Thanks for any intelligence.

Yeah, is NJT going to release a schedule with this actually listed?

Per the Times (Trenton), the RiverLINE will begin running with 15 minute headways during the morning and evening rush hours on Monday, June 21.

Here's the same story per WPVI (ABC) Channel 6 in Philly...

Here's NJT's press release from June 15:
http://www.njtransit.com/ne_pressreleas ... SE_ID=1223

RIVER LINE BEGINS 15-MINUTE PEAK PERIOD SERVICE

Beginning, Monday June 21st, NJ TRANSIT’s River LINE light rail system will offer departures every 15 minutes during the morning and evening peak periods. The announcement was made during the Corporation’s River LINE Job Fair held today aboard the Battleship New Jersey.

The introduction of the 15-minute peak period schedule will increase River LINE service from 76 to 105 roundtrips from Monday to Friday. That means light rail service to Trenton will increase to 43 roundtrips from the current 31, while roundtrip service to Camden will jump to 44 roundtrips from 31. Weekend schedules remain unchanged.

“The River LINE has opened up a whole new mode of traveling in South Jersey. It gets people out of their cars, off congested roadways and connects them to jobs, school and area entertainment venues,” said Light Rail General Manager Joe North. “Now with the addition of 15-minute rush hour service, customers have even more schedule options to chose from.”

Under the new schedule, 15-minute departures to Trenton from Camden will be available between 5:45 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Departures to Camden from Trenton will be offered between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. In the evening, 15-minute service to Trenton will operate between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., while service to Camden will operate between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The peak period schedule was designed to enable more connections with PATCO service, as well as NJ TRANSIT commuter rail, SEPTA and Amtrak service in Trenton.

To promote the scheduled 15-minute pick-ups, NJ TRANSIT is launching the next phase of its marketing campaign, including advertisements that will run between June and December. The campaign’s centerpiece is radio spots that feature frequently heard “pick up lines” such as: “Do you have a map? Cause I keep on getting lost in your eyes,” and “Am I dead? Cause you must be an angel.” In addition, NJ TRANSIT has created an interactive web-based contest for customers to enter.

Between June 21st and July 11th, customers can go online to participate in the contest. Contestants submit their best pick up lines. NJ TRANSIT will choose the best or worst submission weekly. The contest will culminate with the selection of grand prizewinners who will be crowned King and Queen of the “Pick Up Lines” during a Camden Riversharks game on July 25th. The winners will receive private box seats for their family and friends at the game, free monthly passes on the River LINE and tickets to entertainment venues that are served by the River LINE.

“This campaign takes advantage of summer to break out of traditional transit oriented advertising, which tends to be more informational than interactive,” said Assistant Executive Director for Corporate Communications and External Affairs Lynn Bowersox. “It’s light-hearted, it’s fun, and we hope it generates buzz about all different kinds of River LINE connections.”

This phase of the marketing campaign will build on early ridership, which now averages 4,200 weekday passenger trips. Saturday ridership has averaged approximately 4,800 passenger trips, while Sunday ridership averages 3,500 passenger trips. The Corporation is also participating in local celebrations, community fairs, civic and church activities, and festivals at local colleges and in municipalities throughout the summer. The light rail continues to offer an introductory fare of $1.10 for a one-way trip anywhere on the system. Free parking is available at most stations, with total capacity for 3,300 cars.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 752,600 daily trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 49 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

For further information, riders in North Jersey can call NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and midnight at 1-800-772-2222 or at 973-762-5100 from out of state. In South Jersey, riders may call NJ TRANSIT between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. at 1-800-582-5946 or at 215-569-3752 from Pennsylvania. For persons with hearing impairments, the number is 1-800-772-2287. Riders can also visit the NJ TRANSIT website at www.njtransit.com

Here is the new schedule: http://riverline.com/images/pdf/riverli ... 062104.pdf