The commute could become more crowded and hectic for Hudson Valley residents who rely on New Jersey Transit.

Officials representing New Jersey Transit and rail-worker unions concluded meetings in Washington on Friday to try to avert a system-wide strike. They met in front of the National Mediation Board. The two sides are scheduled to meet again Monday in New Jersey, according to a union official.

If an agreement isn't reached, union workers are prepared to strike at 12:01 a.m. on March 13, shutting down the Port Jervis line and the Pascack Valley branch of the railroad in Spring Valley.

"We take the train from here to Secaucus and from Secaucus to Trenton," says commuter Lorna Robinson. "How are we going to manage?"

One option would be to take shuttle buses, but delays would likely be inevitable with roads already congested. The MTA would set up shuttle-bus service at the Palisades Center in West Nyack and at the Middletown-Wallkill and Harriman Metro-North stations.

Commuters would also be able to take the Newburgh-Beacon and Haverstraw-Ossining ferries.

Additionally, the MTA says there would be limited parking at the Cortlandt and North White Plains Metro-North stations.

But commuters like Joe Alfano are dreading the loss of train service. "This is more convenient than the buses because there's always traffic on the bus routes versus the train that runs straight," he says. "I hope there's no strike."

About 105,000 people ride trains into New York from New Jersey each weekday, either on NJ Transit or on NJ Transit connecting with PATH trains run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.