HAPPIEST WAY TO COMMUTE - ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

I took the ferry into work today. It was the first time I took the ferry in to the city in about a year. So much has changed! The Port Imperial ferry terminal now sits a little bit north of where they used to be, closer to the apartments right there, plus there is a brand new building. On the other side of the river in NY, there is a brand new terminal there as well. The ride was as beautiful as ever. It has been GORGEOUS in NY/NJ this week, too, which made the ride even more spendid - 80s during the day with little humidity and cool in the evening. Even the rain was pleasant. The weather plus the simplicity of commuting by a boat to the city made me long for this type of commute again.

Riding the ferry can be expensive, though. It costs $6.00 for a one-way ticket. $7 to park. I think it's worth the ride once in a while, or if you don't have to pay for parking. But if you are taking the ferry every day, it adds up. Costs are up: $211 for a monthly ferry pass + $125 for a monthly parking pass. If you live in Edgewater/Weehawken, there are free buses that pick you up along River Road. The bus ride within the city is free as well. But Edgewater/Weehawken residents don't pay more than $3-4 a day for the bus ride + whatever subway commute they have. (On the other hand, my 8 zone train pass costs me $198 a month. Plus, I pay $4 per day for my subway rides. If I get a 5 zone monthly bus pass, it would cost me $121 per month plus the $4 per day for the subway rides.)

My first job out of college, I spent nearly my entire salary taking the most expensive mode of transportation to the city. However, my commute was: 5 min drive + 5 min parking + 5 min wait + 5 min ferry ride + 10-15 min bus ride. In about 30 minutes, I was at work. Plus, there was no traffic. I was on time every day. In the winter time, it was cold and windy walking from my car to the ferry. However, the ferry ride was covered. I really did try to convert from a ferry commute to a bus commute then, but I couldn't do it. I just paid a few extra dollars a day to buy me extra sleep and happiness. Too bad I don't live anywhere close to a ferry anymore. Train and bus for me.