Tom Krosnowski

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May 12, 2025, 5:35 PM

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Updated

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A private bus company is offering an alternative for New Jersey communities that could be hit hard by the potential New Jersey Transit rail strike.

Joe Colangelo started Boxcar in 2017 to offer an elevated commute. Boxcar partners with bus companies to transport about 2,000 New Jersey commuters into New York City each day.

“You can go public transit for $20 a day, or you can go black car for $400 a day,” Colangelo said. “There’s no little middle ground.”

Boxcar riders get guaranteed seats, plus wi-fi, legroom and other amenities.

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“Members save 33% on tickets,” Colangelo said. “Membership is $40 a month. And so, even with three or four round-trips a month, you are paying for your membership.”

Boxcar has run routes out of Bergen, Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties, but just added a limited Metuchen line due to online demand.

“The borough of Metuchen shared strikeclock.com with their residents,” Colangelo said. “They went from 10 submissions to 140 almost immediately. Within six hours, we had announced new service for Metuchen.”

“There are so many people every day who park their car here, get dropped off here, walk here, bike here, get on a train and go to the City,” said Metuchen Mayor Jonathan Busch. “If the strike happens, they would otherwise be stranded.”

Residents can nominate their communities with an entry on strikeclock.com. The team at Boxcar is preparing to up their game in the face of increased demand.

“Every minute that we get closer to the strike, from here, we are adding more service,” Colangelo said. “I just came from driver training with some of our bus companies explaining how these new routes will work, how our midday service is going to work, how our double loops are going to work. There’s all these new things that we’re doing.”

Colangelo says the Metuchen route could stick around even after a strike if the demand remains.