On a weeknight after a long day in Manhattan, Lynn Docktor settles into a window seat on the Coach USA bus bound for Princeton. The lights dim. The aisle stays quiet.
“It’s relaxing,” Docktor says, adding, “There’s no hubbub like the train station, you know, with a lot of people and noise.”
For Docktor, the bus is not just transportation; it is an alternative to what many local commuters consider the default: NJ Transit’s train service into Penn Station.
Though NJ Transit trains remain the default route into Manhattan for many Princeton-area riders, a number of commuters say the bus offers a quieter and less complicated alternative. Differences in travel time and service frequency, cost, parking convenience, ride comfort and arrival location in Manhattan shape how some locals choose between rail and road, with commuting patterns still adjusting after the pandemic.
NJ Transit offers more frequent service throughout the day, with as many as 40 trains on a weekday and 33 on the weekend, beginning much earlier in the morning and continuing until almost 1 a.m. Coach USA offers 18 buses on a weekday, beginning at 5 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m., and nine trips on a weekend, every two hours beginning at 6 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
Hamilton-area resident Leslie Bock rides both the train and bus and chooses her means of transport based on her evening’s activity. Referring to the 10 p.m. departure of the last bus, she says, “If you go to an evening show, unless it’s an hour and a half show you’re going to see, you might not make that last bus out of the city.”
Travel times also vary. The bus ride takes about an hour and 40 minutes from Princeton to Port Authority. At peak commuting times, the train takes about an hour and seven minutes to Penn Station, including the Princeton “Dinky” to Princeton Junction, while off-peak trips can range from an hour and 20 minutes to as long as two hours.
According to the NJ Transit site, through March 15, 2026, passengers should allow additional time to accommodate train consolidations or cancellations due to Amtrak work on the new Portal North Bridge. Both the NJ Transit and Coach USA apps provide real-time tracking so that riders are alerted to delays or cancellations.
Princeton resident Zenaida Jacoby was once a regular rider on NJ Transit’s Princeton-to-Manhattan service, but that changed several years ago when she and her husband discovered the service offered by Coach USA.
“My husband mentioned it,” said Jacoby. “I don’t know what made him look into it. I think he was just sick of the train. I guess having to drive over to Princeton Junction or Hamilton and standing out in the cold.”
Hamilton resident Diane Carroll has concerns about the condition of NJ Transit trains.
“NJ Transit isn’t getting any better,” Carroll said. “Sometimes you can’t even see out the windows, they’re so deteriorated.”
Ticket prices for the two options are similar. The current NJ Transit one-way fare from Princeton Junction to New York is $18.95 ($21.00 from Princeton). A one-way Coach USA fare from Princeton is $20.65. Both services offer 50% discounted child and senior fares.
The difference for many riders comes down to parking. Parking at Princeton Junction recently increased from $6.00 to $12.00 daily plus a $1.75 processing fee. Riders who can walk to a bus stop or park nearby may find the bus less expensive overall.
The ease of parking is another reason that some riders prefer the bus.
“An advantage of the bus is the ease and lack of expense of parking the car,” said Jack Byer of Newtown Borough, Pennsylvania. “And having the car waiting immediately right by the bus stop for me here in Princeton.”
Arrival location in Manhattan can also influence the choice. Riders who take the bus arrive at Port Authority Bus Terminal, while NJ Transit trains arrive at Penn Station.
Byer said the difference in the stations can shape his preference.
“Arriving at a station with a train full of coaches of people? It’s all congested. And trying to get to a narrow stairway or an escalator—which usually is not operating—in a dark, enclosed tunnel? None of that is avoided with the train. With the bus you have immediate access to the subway,” Byer said.
Jacoby noted that perceptions about the bus terminal may still influence some riders.
“Apparently the Port Authority used to be quite sketchy,” she said, adding, “I think it might be a holdover from what Port Authority used to be, so it’s not an option to some people.”
Destination in Manhattan can also play a role.
“For most of the things I’m interested in … if I’m doing things that are going to be lower on the west or east side, I might prefer to take the train,” Byer said. “But if I’m doing things on the upper west side or around the Times Square area, midtown, then the bus has an advantage.”
Carroll said Penn Station often places her closer to where she needs to go.
“I prefer arriving into Penn Station rather than Port Authority as it’s typically closer to where I’m heading, which is often downtown,” she said.
Morris Docktor said he is comfortable navigating either terminal.
“We’ve never had a problem with either one,” Docktor said. “You just have to get a little used to each one so you know where you’re going.”
Some riders say the bus remains less visible as an option.
“I think probably because they don’t know anything about it,” Carroll said. “I don’t know if the bus advertises much.”
According to NJ Transit’s annual report for 2025, ridership across New Jersey has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels. Materials prepared for the agency’s recent fare adjustment hearings indicate overall ridership on the system has recovered to about 80 percent of what it was before COVID-19.
Coach driver Enil Perez said he has seen that shift firsthand on the Princeton route.
“Before the pandemic, there used to be a lot of people, but after the pandemic, it’s nothing like it used to be,” Perez said. “More people are working from home.”
While changes are undeniable, old habits are hard to break.
Docktor said, “You grow up in Princeton and you never even think about taking the bus. You take the train.”
