NJ Transit Bus Operations

{{short description|Public transport operator in New Jersey}}

{{primary sources|date=June 2011}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox Bus transit

| name = NJ Transit Bus Operations

| logo = NJTBus.svg

| logo_size = 200px

| image = New Jersey Transit NABI 416 transit.jpg

| image_caption = NJ Transit bus operates along Prospect Street in western Trenton.

| parent = NJ Transit

| founded = 1980 (purchase of Transport of New Jersey)

| headquarters = Newark, New Jersey

| service_area = New Jersey (statewide)

| service_type = Local and commuter bus transit, Newark Light Rail

| routes = 267 (See list below)

| stations = 26 bus terminals,
19,500 bus stops,
17 light rail stations[http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/FactsAtaGlance.pdf New Jersey Transit Facts at a Glance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906064945/http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/FactsAtaGlance.pdf |date=September 6, 2015 }}, Fiscal Year 2009

| fleet = 3,052 buses, 696 leased to private operators
21 light rail vehicles

| annual_ridership = {{American transit ridership|NJ Transit MB annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}

| operator = See operator list below

| ceo = Kevin Corbett

| website = [https://www.njtransit.com/ njtransit.com]

}}

NJ Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of NJ Transit, providing local and commuter bus service throughout New Jersey and adjacent areas of New York State (Manhattan in New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County) and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley). It operates its own lines as well as contracts others to private carriers. In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the bus system had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|NJ Transit MB annual}}.

History

Prior to 1948, most public transportation in New Jersey was provided by the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, a utility company that also operated the Public Service Railway division. In 1948, the Public Service Corporation was divided into two entities: the Public Service Electric and Gas Company, which inherited the utility operations, and the Public Service Coordinated Transportation Company (PSCT), which inherited the transit operations. PSCT provided service throughout New Jersey, originally using trolleys and then transitioning to trolley buses, and buses. During the 1970s, the New Jersey Department of Transportation began funding the routes of Public Service, now renamed Transport of New Jersey (TNJ), contracting with TNJ and other companies to operate local bus service throughout New Jersey.{{cite web|url=http://www.davemackey.com/psct/history.html|title=Public Service – History|work=davemackey.com|access-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616153703/http://www.davemackey.com/psct/history.html|archive-date=June 16, 2013}}

NJ Transit came into being as the result of the New Jersey Public Transportation Act of 1979 to "acquire, operate, and contract for transportation services in the public interest". NJ Transit Bus Operations came into being the following year, when it acquired Transport of New Jersey from PSE&G.{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| author = Martin Waldron | title = Jersey Acquires 2 Key Bus Lines For $32 Million; Byrne Describes Takeover as 'Truly Public Transit' Possible Rail Takeover 'Getting Rid of a Headache' Jersey Acquires Two Key Bus Lines| work = The New York Times| access-date = February 13, 2017| date = September 18, 1980| url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE3DB1F3BE732A2575BC1A96F9C94619FD6CF&legacy=true}} Other purchases and buyouts in the 1980s expanded the bus division of NJ Transit, including the assumption of service for Somerset Bus Company in 1982 and the acquisition of the Atlantic City Transportation Company in 1987.{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Bird| first = David| title = End of the Line Drawing Near for Jersey's Somerset Bus Co.| work = The New York Times| access-date = October 21, 2018| date = June 3, 1982| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/03/nyregion/end-of-the-line-drawing-near-for-jersey-s-somerset-bus-co.html}} In 1992 NJ Transit Mercer, Inc., which was the successor to the former "Mercer Metro" operation in the Trenton and Princeton areas, was folded into NJ Transit Bus Operations.[http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=CorpInfoTo "History & Structure"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902044255/http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=CorpInfoTo |date=September 2, 2007 }}, New Jersey Transit In 2010, PABCO Transit (Passaic-Athenia Bus) taken over under the subsidiary NJ Transit Morris, Inc.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey numerous private carriers went out of business and NJ Transit took over many of their routes, including those of Olympia Trails subsidiaries (ONE Bus, Red & Tan in Hudson County), A&C Bus Corporation, DeCamp Bus Lines, and Transdev.https://eu.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2023/09/28/struggling-nj-private-bus-lines-are-dropping-commuter-service-nj-transit-decamp-coach-ac/70930621007/https://eu.northjersey.com/story/news/transportation/2023/09/29/new-bus-schedules-newark-jersey-city-routes-nj-transit/71004902007/

Routes

Routes are numbered by where they operate in the state of New Jersey, however, there are a few exceptions to the general rule due to subsequent changes to some routes operating in Central and North Jersey. Fare and route can also be further elucidated on some of the individual route schedulesList of New Jersey Transit [http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusTo schedules] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509141257/http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusTo |date=May 9, 2017 }} or the trip planner.NJ Transit [http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TripPlannerTo trip planner]

In most cases, routes retain the same numbers they had under the Public Service/Transport of New Jersey umbrella.

Fleet

{{Main|NJ Transit bus fleet}}

As of 2024 NJ Transit had over 2800 buses, including 147 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and 12 hybrid electric buses, as well as community shuttles.{{cite report |title = New Jersey Transit Facts at a Glance (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024) |publisher = New Jersey Transit |date = November 2024 |url = https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/FY24%20FACTS%20AT%20A%20GLANCE%201st%20Draft.pdf |accessdate = January 21, 2025}}

Divisions and facilities

{{see also|NJ Transit bus garages}}

NJ Transit Bus Operations is divided into the Northern, Central, and Southern Divisions, and contract operations.New Jersey Transit [http://www.njtransit.com/ti/ti_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusTerminalsTo#garages garage locations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327084222/http://www.njtransit.com/ti/ti_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusTerminalsTo#garages |date=March 27, 2018 }}

= Northern Division =

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}

The Northern Division consists of six garages.

class="wikitable"
Garage

!width="160px"|Location

!Routes

!Notes

Fairview

|419 Anderson Avenue,
Fairview

|128 (split with Meadowlands, Howell), 153, 154, 156 (split with Market Street, Meadowlands), 158 (split with Meadowlands), 159 (split with Market Street, Meadowlands)

|

Market Street

|16 Market Street,
Paterson

|72, 74, 156 (split with Fairview, Meadowlands), 159 (split with Fairview, Meadowlands), 171, 175, 178, 182, 186, 703, 704, 712, 770

|

Meadowlands

|2600 Penhorn Avenue,
North Bergen

|10 (splot with Greenville, Kearny Point), 22, 23, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 119 (split with Greenville, Kearny Point), 121, 122 (split with Wayne), 123, 124, 125, 126 (split with Greenville, Hilton, Ironbound), 127, 128 (split with Fairview, Howell), 129, 155 (split with Westwood), 156 (split with Fairview, Market Street), 159 (split with Fairview, Market Street), 166 (split with Oradell), 167 (split with Westwood), 177 (split with Westwood), 181, 188, 190 (split with Wayne), 319 (split with Egg Harbor, Howell), 320, 321, 329, 355 (split with Ironbound)

|

  • Newly built garage replaced the old Union City Garage in 1993.
Oradell

|Marginal Rd,
Oradell

|144, 162, 163, 164 (split with Wayne), 166 (split with Meadowlands)

|

  • Replaced the old Bergenfield and Hackensack Garages in 1962.
Wayne

|55 West Belt Parkway,
Wayne

|101, 105, 122 (split with Meadowlands), 145, 148, 151, 160, 161, 164 (split with Oradell) 190 (split with Meadowlands), 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 324

|

  • Newly built garage that replaced the old Madison Ave garage in Paterson and the Warwick Garage in Warwick, New York in 1998.
Westwood

|180 Old Hook Road, Westwood

|155 (split with Meadowlands), 157, 165, 167 (split with Meadowlands), 168, 177 (split with Meadowlands)

|

  • Former Coach USA Rockland Coaches garage
  • Bought by NJT in 2022, to relieve congestion in Oradell
  • Service began for this garage on September 3, 2022

= Central Division =

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}

The Central Division consists of eight garages and one light rail operations facility.

class="wikitable"
Garage

!width="160px"|Location

!Routes

!Notes

Big Tree

|1 Washington Avenue,
Nutley

|1 (split with Hilton, Orange),13 (split with Hilton), 27 (split with Hilton, Orange), 30, 40, 44, 76, 78, 99, 378

|

  • New garage opened in 1989
  • Built on the same site after the old Big Tree Garage was demolished.
Greenville

|53 Old Bergen Road
Jersey City

|6, 10 (split with Meadowlands, Kearny Point), 80, 81, 87, 119 (with Kearny Point, Meadowlands), 120, 126 (split with Hilton, Meadowlands, Ironbound)

|

  • New garage opened in 1998
  • Built on the same site after the old Greenville Garage was demolished.
  • Originally part of the Northern division until Westwood opening.
Hilton

|1450 Springfield Avenue
Maplewood

|1 (split with Big Tree, Ironbound, Orange), 13 (split with Big Tree), 24 (Split with Ironbound, Orange), 25, 26, 27 (split with Big Tree, Orange), 31, 37, 39, 52, 70, 90, 107, 108, 126 (split with Greenville, Ironbound, Meadowlands), 250 (go25), 361, 375

|

  • New garage opened in 1989, built on the same site after the old Maplewood Garage was demolished. Upgraded and electrification planned for 2025.{{Cite web |title=New Jersey Transit, Battery Electric Bus Garage Modernization {{!}} Burns Engineering |url=https://www.burns-group.com/project/njt-battery-electric/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=NJ TRANSIT ADVANCES BUS GARAGE MODERNIZATION PROGRAM |url=https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-advances-bus-garage-modernization-program |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=NJ TRANSIT |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-03-15 |title=NJ Transit awards contract for design and modernization of Hilton Garage |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/bus/vehicles/hybrid-hydrogen-electric-vehicles/article/21260337/nj-transit-awards-contract-for-design-and-modernization-of-hilton-garage |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=Mass Transit |language=en}}
Howell

|1251 U.S. 9, Howell Township
Howell

|63, 64, 67, 68, 126 (split with Greenville, Hilton, Ironbound, Meadowlands), 128 (split with Meadowlands, Fairview), 130, 131, 132, 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 319 (split with Egg Harbor, Meadowlands)

|

  • Newly built garage that replaced the old garages in Lakewood and Old Bridge in 1985.
Ironbound

|601 Doremus Ave,

|24 (Split with Hilton, Orange), 48, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 65, 66, 102, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119 (Split with Greenville, Meadowlands), 126 (Split with Greenville, Hilton, Kearny Point, Meadowlands), 355 (Split with Meadowlands)

|

  • Newly built garage and main shop complex replacing the old garages in Newark at Ferry Street Shops and Lake Street Shops, and the old Elizabeth garage in 1997.
  • Located next to Kearny Point Garage.
  • Kearny Point, opened on August 17, 2024. Formerly an abandoned factory, it was made into a garage for NJT when CoachUSA's ONE Bus stopped operations in 2024.
Kearny Point

|677 Wilson Ave,
Newark

|2, 8, 9, 10 (Split with Greenville, Meadowlands), 14, 119 (Split with Greenville, Meadowlands), 126 (Split with Greenville, Hilton, Howell, Meadowlands), 986

|

  • Located next to Ironbound Garage.
  • Opened on August 17, 2024. Formerly an abandoned factory, it was made into a garage for NJT when CoachUSA's ONE Bus stopped operations in 2024.
Morris
(NJ Transit Morris, Inc.)

|34 Richboynton Road
Dover

|871, 872, 873, 874, 875, 878, 880

|

Newark Light Rail

|Grove Street station
Bloomfield

|Newark Light Rail Newark Penn Station

|

  • Originally used for storage and maintenance until the Grove Street extension in June 2002, when a new shop and yard complex were opened.
Orange

|420 Thomas Boulevard,
Orange

| 1 (split with Hilton, Big Tree) 5, 11, 21, 24 (split with Ironbound, Hilton), 27 (split with Big Tree, Hilton), 28, 29, 31, 34, 41, 71, 73, 79, 92, 94, 96, 97, 258 (go28), 372

|

  • New garage opened in 1988
  • Built on the same site after the old Orange Garage was demolished, replaced Roseville and Lake St. Garages

= Southern Division =

{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2025}}

The Southern Division consists of five garages.

class="wikitable"
Garage

!width="160px"|Location

!Routes

!Notes

Egg Harbor

|1431 Doughty Road,
Egg Harbor

|313 (split with Washington Twp), 315 (split with Washington Twp), 316 (split with Newton Av, Washington Twp), 319 (split with Howell, Meadowlands), 501, 502, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 510, 552, 553, 559

|

  • Newly built garage replaced the old Atlantic City, Inlet, and Wildwood Garages in 1998.
Hamilton Township
(NJ Transit Mercer, Inc.)

|600 Sloan Avenue,
Hamilton

|600, 601, 603, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609, 610, 611, 612, 613, 619, 624

|

  • Newly built garage next to the NJT's Hamilton Train Station replaced the old Mercer Metro Garage on East State Street in Trenton in 1998.
Neptune Garage

|830 Old Corlies Avenue,
Neptune City

|830, 831, 832, 834, 836, 837, 838

|

  • Garage and Routes originally Transdev until October 1, 2023. Transferred to New Jersey Transit after.{{Cite web |website=New Jersey Transit |date=September 14, 2023 |title=NJT Board Meeting September 2023 |url=https://content.njtransit.com/sites/default/files/board/meeting_minutes/2023_09_14_OpenSess.pdf}}
Newton Avenue

|350 Newton Avenue,
Camden

|316 (split with Egg Harbor, Washington Twp), 317, 404, 405, 407, 409, 413, 414, 417, 418, 419, 450, 451, 452, 453, 455, 457

|

  • Newly built and expanded garage opened in 1994 replacing the old Camden garage on the same site, as well as the Maple Shade and Riverside garages.
Washington Township

|6000 Black Horse Pike,
Turnersville

|313 (split with Egg Harbor), 315 (split with Egg Harbor), 316 (split with Egg Harbor, Newtown Av), 400, 401, 402, 403, 406, 408, 410, 412, 459, 463, 551, 554

|

  • Replaced the old Turnersville Garage on the same site in 1990.

Contract operations

These companies operate service under contract to New Jersey Transit. Service is provided using New Jersey Transit-branded buses.

class="wikitable"

!width="140px"|Operator

!Location

!Routes

Community Coach

|160 Route 17 North,
Paramus

|351, 353

Academy Bus Lines

|600 S River St, Hackensack

|702, 705, 707, 709, 722, 744, 746, 748, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762, 772, 780

Salem County Transit

|88 Industrial Park Road
Pennsville

|468

Suburban Trails

|750 Somerset Street,
New Brunswick

|801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 810, 811, 813, 814, 815, 817, 818, 819, 822

Trans-Bridge Lines

|2012 Industrial Drive,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

|890, 891

See also

References

{{reflist}}