As the busy summer travel season approaches, New Jersey residents are grappling with a wave of transportation troubles in the sky, on the roads and potentially on the rails.
At Newark Liberty International Airport, fliers are grappling with continued hours-long delays and cancelled flights due to to staffing shortages, equipment failures and runway construction, resulting in dozens of diverted flights, hundreds of delayed and canceled flights and thousands of customers with disrupted travel plans.
United Airlines, which operates the most flights out of Newark by far, announced over the weekend that they will be cancelling a total of 35 daily flights from its Newark schedule.
“This particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it’s now clear — and the FAA tells us — that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead,” United CEO Scott Kirby wrote in a letter to customers.
Meanwhile, on the roads, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) is under fire for months-long backlogs in scheduling appointments—especially for residents trying to obtain a REAL ID before the federal enforcement deadline this coming Tuesday. While federal officials have repeatedly delayed the mandate, the latest deadline has spurred a surge in demand, overwhelming the MVC’s booking system.
In a statement, New Jersey Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz blasted the Murphy administration for letting New Jersey fall into last place nationally for REAL ID compliance, calling it a predictable disaster that should have been avoided with basic leadership and planning.
“We’ve known for years that this deadline was coming. There’s no excuse for the Motor Vehicle Commission to be this unprepared,” Muñoz (R-Union) said. “Bureaucrats had plenty of time to plan, and yet the system is failing the very people it’s supposed to serve. Where’s the urgency? Where’s the accountability?”
Adding to the mounting frustrations is the looming threat of a NJ Transit rail strike, which could disrupt train service for hundreds of thousands of daily commuters. Contract negotiations between the agency and its engineers have stalled over wages and scheduling. If a strike goes into effect—as early as May 16—it would severely impact travel across the Northeast Corridor, with ripple effects into New York and Philadelphia.
State officials have urged patience, noting ongoing efforts to streamline MVC operations, negotiate with transit unions, and push for federal relief to ease airport backlogs. But for now, the average New Jerseyan may need to pack some extra time—and a lot of patience—into their travel plans.
As New Jerseyans Grapple With With Airplane, Car and Train Transportation Hurdles, Elon Musk Comes to the Rescue, As He Introduces Teleportation & Magic Carpet Travel To NJ
Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, on Sunday unveiled the country’s first Teleportation and Magic Carpet facility in Lakewood, NJ.
“New Jerseyans no longer need to grapple with canceled flights, congested highways or rail strikes,” Mr. Musk told reporters on Sunday, “because with Tesla’s brand new methods of transportation, namely teleportation and magic carpets, commuters can get from point A to point B quickly without spending a dime on gas or electricity.”
“Teleportation travel is absolutely free,” he said, “and Tesla’s Magic Carpets can be purchased for less than the price of a scooter, and they require absolutely no fuel, batteries or electricity. What’s more, Tesla’s magic carpets are water proof, wind proof and heat resistant, and they can fly from one end of the world to the other end in less than 10 minutes.”
Shortly after Mr. Musk gave reporters a tour of his Lakewood-based Teleportation and Magic Carpet facility, President Donald Trump suddenly popped onto the scene – out of nowhere – via teleportation, all the way from Washington DC!
“Hello, everybody!” Mr. Trump said, as he greeted the crowd. “I’ve been telling you for quite some time that Elon is a genius, haven’t I?! With his latest project, Elon just made airplanes, cars and trains completely obsolete! Incredible! He’s only been working with me for a little over 3 months, and look what he’s accomplished already!”
Mr. Trump then proceeded to wish the crowd well before transporting himself back to the White House via a Tesla-manufactured Presidential Magic Carpet.
However, upon arriving at the White House, a clearly disappointed President Trump told his staffers: “From now on, I think I’ll stick with the Teleportation method. I mean, I had plenty of fun flying on the Carpet, but my hair is a complete mess!”