JERSEY CITY -- Commuters at the Liberty State Park light rail station expected delays this morning, but waiting an hour for a train to arrive was not what they had planned.
A dump truck struck overhead catenary wires on Marin Boulevard yesterday afternoon, causing suspensions and delays that have lasted through this morning's commute.
NJ Transit officials warned customers of roughly 30-minute delays because of a "modified weekend schedule" for this morning's commute, but for some, 30 minutes turned into an hour.
"I'm missing money. I need to be at work," said Lashondia Goodman, of New Brunswick.
Goodman, who had been waiting for a train for nearly an hour, said she did not think NJ Transit, who operates the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system that runs from North Bergen to Bayonne, handled the delays properly.
"They definitely could have communicated (better) and have buses and perhaps cabs waiting out here," she said. "They did it yesterday. They should have done it today. It's very inconveniencing to the commuters."
NJ Transit had advisories on its website and also updated commuters on Twitter, urging commuters to allow more time for travel. Light rail tickets and passes are being cross-honored on NJ Transit buses in an attempt to ease the congestion.
While there were no stoppages of service today, only one track was operating at the Liberty State Park station.
Zakee Howze, who was waiting for a train to Bayonne, described the situation as "catastrophic" but said he was trying to remain optimistic for the remainder of his commute.
"For now, I forgot my imaginary cape," he said.
As a train pulled into the station, the operator told passengers the train was already filled to capacity. But that did not stop frustrated commuters from trying to pile into the train, but another train was about five minutes away.
For some, waiting to board an overcrowded light rail was not an option.
Keylssa Hall, who works as a trainer in New York City, said the line at the Exchange Place station for a bus or train was so long yesterday afternoon that she rented a Citi Bike to peddle her way back to Liberty State Park, where her car was parked.
After reading about expected delays this morning, Hall rented a bike again this morning to the Exchange Place station.
The dump truck's driver was cited for careless driving, along with three additional commercial vehicle violations.