NJ towns plan bus routes for possible transit strike

New Jersey towns are preparing for a potential NJ Transit strike by arranging alternative commuter bus routes to New York City. Boxcar, a private shuttle company, is expanding services to accommodate displaced rail riders. Metuchen is working with Boxcar to launch a direct bus route to NYC, while Boxcar is also adding trips to its "Bergen Bullet" route, starting Monday. These actions are in anticipation of a possible strike by NJ Transit engineers over wage disputes. The engineers and NJ Transit are in negotiations with the National Mediation Board, with a strike possible if an agreement isn't reached by March 16. NJ Transit plans to use buses as a contingency, but can only accommodate a fraction of the usual rail riders.