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NJ Transit Bus Operations (formerly Transport of New Jersey)
NJ Transit bus operates along Prospect Street in western Trenton.
Parent NJ Transit
Founded1980 (purchase of Transport of New Jersey)
Headquarters Newark, New Jersey
Service area New Jersey (statewide)
Service typeLocal and commuter bus transit, Newark Light Rail
Routes267 (See list below)
Stations26 bus terminals,
19,500 bus stops,
17 light rail stations [1]
Fleet3,052 buses, 696 leased to private operators
21 light rail vehicles [1]
Annual ridership131,253,500 (2023) [2]
OperatorSee operator list below
Chief executive Kevin Corbett
Website njtransit.com

NJ Transit Bus Operations is the bus division of NJ Transit, providing bus service throughout New Jersey along with service along with the Newark Light Rail service. Many of the agency’s bus routes travel over state lines to New York City or Philadelphia. In 2023, the bus system had a ridership of 131,253,500.

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. [3]

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. [4] 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. [5] 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. [6] In 2010, Morris County operations were taken over under the subsidiary NJ Transit Morris, Inc.

NJ Transit Bus Operations owns, leases, or subleases over 3,000 buses, [1] and many more have been purchased for community shuttles.

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 schedules [7] or the trip planner. [8]

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

Fleet

Divisions, facilities, and operators

NJ Transit Bus Operations is divided into the Northern, Central, and Southern Divisions, and contract operations. [9] Below is a list of all facilities and the buses housed in them. [10]

Northern Division

The Northern Division consists of six garages.

Garage Location Routes Notes
Fairview 419 Anderson Avenue,
Fairview
128 (split with Meadowlands, Howell), 153, 154, 156, 158, 159, 321 (split with Howell, Meadowlands), 351 (split with Meadowlands, Community Coach)
Market Street 16 Market Street,
Paterson
72, 74, 171, 175, 178, 182, 186, 703, 704, 712, 770
Meadowlands 2600 Penhorn Avenue,
North Bergen
8 (split with greenville), 9, 10 (with Greenville), 22 (with Greenville), 23 (with Greenville), 82, 83, 85, 86, 89, 119 (with Greenville), 121, 122 (split with Wayne), 123, 124, 125, 126 (split with Greenville, Hilton, Howell, Ironbound), 127, 128 (split with Farview, Howell), 129, 139 (split with Howell, Ironbound, Academy), 166 (split with Oradell), 167 (split with Oradell), 177 (split with Oradell), 181, 188, 190 (split with Market St, Wayne), 308 (split with Howell, Ironbound), 319 (split with Egg Harbor, Howell), 320, 321 (split with Fairview, Howell), 329, 351 (split with Fairview, Community Coach), 353 (split with Ironbound, Oradell, Community Coach), 355 (split with Ironbound)
  • Newly built garage replaced the old Union City Garage in 1993.
Oradell Marginal Rd,
Oradell
144, 155 (split with Westwood), 157 (split with Westwood), 162, 163, 164 (split with Wayne), 165 (split with Westwood), 166 (split with Meadowlands), 167 (split with Meadowlands, Westwood), 168, 177 (split with Meadowlands, Westwood), 353 (split with Ironbound, Meadowlands, Community Coach), 364
  • Replaced the old Bergenfield and Hackensack Garages in 1962.
Westwood 180 Old Hook Road, Westwood 155, 157, 165, 167, 168, 177 (all shared with Oradell and 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

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, NY in 1998.

Central Division

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

Garage Location Routes Notes
Big Tree 1 Washington Avenue,
Nutley
1 (split with Hilton, Orange, Greenville),13 (split with Hilton), 27 (split with Hilton, Orange), 30, 40, 44, 76, 78, 99, 378
  • New garage opened in 1989
  • Built on same site after the old Big Tree Garage was demolished.
Greenville 53 Old Bergen Road
Jersey City
1 (split with Hilton, Orange, Big Tree), 6, 10 (with Meadowlands), 14, 22 (with Meadowlands), 23 (with Meadowlands), 80, 81, 87, 120, 126 (split with Hilton, Howell, Meadowlands, Ironbound)
  • New garage opened in 1998
  • Built on same site after the old Greenville Garage was demolished.
  • Originally part of the Northern division until late 2023.
Hilton 1450 Springfield Avenue
Maplewood
1 (split with Big Tree, Orange, Greenville), 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, Howell, Ironbound, Meadowlands), 250 (go25), 361, 375
  • New garage opened in 1989, built on same site after old Maplewood Garage was demolished.
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 (split with Academy), 131, 132, 133, 135, 136 (split with Academy), 137, 138, 139 (split with Academy, Ironbound, Meadowlands), 307, 308 (split with Ironbound, Meadowlands), 319 (split with Egg Harbor, Meadowlands), 321 (split with Fairview, Meadowlands)
  • Newly built garage that replaced the old garages in Lakewood and Old Bridge in 1985.
Ironbound 677 Wilson Avenue,
Newark
24 (Split with Hilton, Orange), 48, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 65, 66, 102, 109, 111, 112, 113 (split with Howell), 114, 115, 116 (split with Howell), 117, 126 (split with Greenville, Hilton, Howell, Meadowlands), 139 (split with Howell, Academy), 308, (split with Howell, Meadowlands), 353 (split with Meadowlands, Oradell, Community Coach), 355 (split with Meadowlands), 356
  • 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.
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, where a new shop and yard complex were opened.
Orange 420 Thomas Boulevard,
Orange
1 (split with Hilton, Big Tree, Greenville) 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 same site after old Orange Garage was demolished, replaced Roseville and Lake St. Garages

Southern Division

The Southern Division consists of five garages.

Garage Location Routes Notes
Egg Harbor 1431 Doughty Road,
Egg Harbor
313 (split with Washington Twp), 315 (split with Washington Twp), 316/510 (split with Newton Av, Washington Twp), 319 (split with Howell, Meadowlands), 501, 502, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 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 replaces the old Mercer Metro Garage on East State Street in Trenton in 1998.
Neptune Garage
(NJ Transit Mercer, Inc.)
830 Old Corlies Avenue,
Neptune City
830, 831, 832, 834, 836, 837, 838
  • Garage and Routes originally Transdev until October 1st, 2023. Transferred to New Jersey Transit after. [11]
Newton Avenue 350 Newton Avenue,
Camden
316/510 (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 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), 316/510 (split with Egg Harbor, Newtown Av), 400, 401, 402, 403, 406, 408, 410, 412, 459, 463, 551, 554
  • Replaced the old Turnersville Garage on 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.

Operator Location Routes
Community Coach 160 Route 17 North,
Paramus
351, 353, 702, 705, 707, 709, 722, 744, 746, 748, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 758, 762, 772, 780
ONE Bus 349 First Street Elizabeth 2, 84, 88
Salem County Transit 88 Industrial Park Road
Pennsville
468
Suburban Trails 750 Somerset Street,
New Brunswick
100, 200, 300, 400, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 810, 811, 813, 814, 815, 817, 818, 819, 822, 986
Trans-Bridge Lines 2012 Industrial Drive,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
890, 891

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c New Jersey Transit Facts at a Glance Archived 2015-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, Fiscal Year 2009
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Public Service – History". davemackey.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
  4. ^ Times, Martin Waldron Special To The New York (1980-09-18). "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". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
  5. ^ Bird, David (1982-06-03). "End of the Line Drawing Near for Jersey's Somerset Bus Co". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-10-21.
  6. ^ "History & Structure" Archived 2007-09-02 at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Transit
  7. ^ List of New Jersey Transit schedules Archived 2017-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ NJ Transit trip planner
  9. ^ New Jersey Transit garage locations Archived 2018-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "NJ Transit Bus Fan Page – Garages". davemackey.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
  11. ^ "NJT Board Meeting September 2023" (PDF). New Jersey Transit. 2023-09-14.

External links