Some mayors on the rail line that NJ Transit will send to Hoboken instead of New York during Amtrak's summer track work in Penn Station asked employers to give employees leeway about when they're expected to report to work in anticipation of delays.
Mayors in South Orange and Maplewood wrote letters for their constituents to give to their employers, asking them to consider flexible work schedules or to allow employees to work from home to avoid anticipated delays when Amtrak begins track work on July 10. That work prompted NJ Transit to divert all Morris & Essex rush hour trains from Penn Station New York to Hoboken Terminal until Sept. 1.
A similar diversion after an April 3 derailment and track repair in Penn Station New York caused massive delays and overcrowding. NJ Transit officials said diverting M&E trains spares 75 percent of their rail commuters from disruption from the track work.
The letter from South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum mentions that 4,000 commuters who ride from South Orange station. She asked that, if employees can't work from home, that employers change their start and finish times to take them out of the heart of the commuting rush during that period of time.
Collum said a resident suggested the letter after she asked for crowd sources solutions from residents.
"One resident suggested getting the Governor from N.Y. and N.J. to issue a joint statement to employers of both states encouraging them to be as accommodating as possible for employees given the circumstances," she said. "I brought this up when the mayors were finally able to meet with NJ Transit officials and unfortunately, nothing has come of it."
Instead, she and Maplewood Mayor Victor De Luca and wrote their own letter for residents to download, Collum said.
De Luca said he's received a positive response from residents about the letters.
"We heard some NYC employers had no clue what was happening," he said.
Commuter Larry Hirsch said the letter tells his employer about the commuting challenge he'll face this summer.
"Though my employer is usually understanding when NJ Transit makes me late, this will help me by making sure they understand my situation, and (they) can plan to allow me the flexibility to meet my commuting challenges," he said. "It increases the peace of mind for me and other South Orange commuters facing an extra stressful rush hour commute this summer."
Collum and Maplewood De Luca were among several municipal officials from towns on the line who met with NJ Transit officials to express concerns about the plan to divert M&E trains to Hoboken. De Luca estimates that 23,000 commuters could be affected.
While NJ Transit is discounting the price of M&E tickets during the track work, for South Orange commuters, it amounts to $5 a day. The agency also arranged to have M&E rail tickets honored by PATH and NY Waterway ferries and on NJ Transit buses to get commuters to and from New York.
"That amount pales in comparison to the cost of additional day care and coordinating new pick-up and drop-off times, so parents and guardians can get to work," Collum wrote. "Working families will feel it the most."
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.