A 'Summer of Swell'? Share Your Takeaway From the Summer Commute

With three of Penn Station's 21 tracks under repair this summer, about 17,000 commuters from New Jersey and Long Island were promised "hell." 

Instead, we saw commuters from Long Island essentially getting private bus rides into the city; NJ Transit riders seemed to be happy converts to the Hoboken Ferry; and we even found a serviceable happy hour inside Penn Station.

As for those track repairs, WNYC's Stephen Nessen says that everyone was surprised at how well it went, and the MTA might take a hint when it comes to fixing the subways. 

"Very early on, they realized shutting down several tracks was a great way to get a lot of work done really quick and really expediently," says Nessen. "The MTA still has not committed to shutting down any lines, for any period of time, to do any sort of work. But it appears that that's what they need to do. So, Amtrak would be a good model to look at."

So, was it actually a "Summer of Swell?" If you were affected by the track repairs, how'd it go, and will you permanently change anything about the way you commute? Let us know on Twitter using #WeTheCommuters, or leave a comment in our Facebook group.