New York Today: Preparing for a Rail Strike

Good morning on this chillier Thursday.

As early as next weekend, New Jersey Transit’s rail workers could go on strike, requiring many of our Garden State neighbors to find alternative routes across the Hudson.

“That means more buses coming into the city, more people on ferries and more people driving on the streets — possibly with road rage,” said Emma G. Fitzsimmons, our transportation reporter.

The problem, she writes, arises from a standoff between Gov. Chris Christie and the rail workers over wages and benefits.

If you’re one of the estimated 100,000 commuters who rely on New Jersey Transit to get into Manhattan, a strike would mean a travel routine similar to one put in place after Hurricane Sandy.

The agency is scheduled to announce contingency plans today.

But a person familiar with the plans, who was not authorized to discuss them publicly, shared some details.

For one, New Jersey Transit intends to establish five park-and-ride locations for commuters to transfer to a bus, a PATH train or a ferry.