Montclair Residents Overwhelmingly Want Shuttle Buses–But Some Big Questions Remain

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Should Montclair become a shuttle bus town? A lot of people say "yes" – and would pay for the privilege, a survey says.

A township committee has been investigating the possibility of creating a local shuttle bus program since January 2025. The Shuttle Bus Subcommittee recently held a public meeting to discuss their research and get feedback from residents, and there is another meeting planned this week (see below).

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Last year, the committee put out a survey to the community about shuttle buses, getting more than 2,000 responses. The result? An overwhelming "yes," the group said – roughly nine in 10 respondents indicated they'd use a local shuttle service if available.

Montclair residents both with (96%) and without (98%) access to a car indicated that they would use the service. Respondent locations were relatively evenly distributed across town. Responses were reported from all demographic groupings, income levels and ages, the committee said.

Some key local destinations for shuttle bus service included Montclair Center, Upper Montclair, the South End, Bay Street, Grove Street, Bloomfield Avenue, Walnut Street, grocery stores, and Montclair State University.

Most Montclair residents are also willing to pay a small fee, with 87 percent of those surveyed replying that they would fork over a nominal $1 or $2 fare.

SHUTTLE BUS REPORT

The Shuttle Bus Subcommittee recently released a report that recaps what they've been discussing – and the feedback from local residents – which can be seen online here.

According to the committee, it would cost from $60 to $90 per vehicle hour to run a shuttle bus in Montclair.

However, that cost also comes with benefits to the community, such as reduced parking demand and traffic, less pollution, improved safety for pedestrians and bike riders, reduced cost of living expenses for commuters, and better access to crucial destinations like grocery stores and jobs.

Read more about the pros and cons of potentially running a shuttle bus in Montclair in the committee report here.

For now, there are many questions that still need to be answered, the committee says. They include:

• Which needs should the shuttle serve?
• Should there be one, two or three buses in service?
• What days and hours should the buses run?
• Should Montclair run the program – or contract out to a bus company?
• Should the program use electric or gas-powered buses?

PUBLIC MEETING

The committee will host another public meeting to discuss shuttle bus concepts and seek feedback from residents at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30 in the council chambers of the Municipal Building, 205 Claremont Avenue.

The meeting will also be livestreamed on Montclair TV34's YouTube channel.

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