NJ Transit Has ‘Emergency Bus Plan’ For Stranded Coach, A&C Riders

NEW JERSEY — There’s less than a week left before Coach USA pulls the plug on three of its bus routes in Newark, Elizabeth and the Oranges. Later this month, another private bus carrier – Jersey City-based A&C – will shut down four lines that service the city as it goes out of business. But when they do, bus riders who depend on the two companies to get to work or other crucial destinations may find a temporarily lifeline with NJ Transit, the agency says.

NJ Transit recently announced that it will be rolling out “emergency stabilization” plans for Coach USA and A&C riders. See the Coach USA plan here. See the A&C plan here.

According to NJ Transit, it will create six new bus routes and extend an existing route. The emergency plan will serve the same stops as the discontinued lines.

“NJ Transit understands how important this bus service is to all those who depend on it, particularly for those who rely on it as their sole source of mobility,” president and CEO Kevin Corbett said.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to deliver a plan that maintains service for all the customers impacted by the disappointing decision made by A&C and Coach USA to discontinue operating these seven bus routes,” Corbett added.

The announcement saw praise from Assemblywoman Angela McKnight (district 31), who said that without the emergency routes, people in her community would be "devastated."

"I commend NJ Transit for taking swift action to ensure residents of Jersey City do not lose access to transportation services when privately operated bus routes are no longer available," McKnight said.

Patrick Council, a councilman in Newark's South Ward, also clapped for NJ Transit's announcement.

"We want to thank NJ Transit for stepping in with this stabilization plan to provide continued service to our riders," Council said.

The new routes aren’t the first time that NJ Transit has stepped in to fill the gap for riders when a private bus company began struggling in North Jersey.

In March 2020, DeCamp Bus Lines – which ran several routes from North Jersey to New York City – announced that it was ending commuter services across the Hudson River. According to the company, it struggled to recapture daily commuter passengers after the coronavirus pandemic, with monthly ridership averages at 20 percent or less of pre-COVID levels. When DeCamp threw in the towel, NJ Transit – and ironically, Coach USA – came to the rescue for local commuters by launching temporary routes.

Here’s what to know if you’re planning to hop trains next week.

COACH USA

Coach USA will be pulling the plug on three of its New Jersey routes – the 24, 31 and 44 – starting on Sunday, Oct. 8.

The routes run through Orange, Newark and Elizabeth (ONE), as well as South Orange and East Orange. Stops include a Veterans Affairs hospital, Newark Penn Station, the Orange Train Station, University Hospital, South Orange center, the Jersey Gardens mall and the Elizabeth seaport, as well as stops near Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Essex County College.

All other existing Coach USA routes will continue to operate as scheduled.

The company blamed a “decrease in ridership, driver shortages and inflationary pressures on all operating expenses” for the upcoming service cuts. However, Coach USA has launched new routes in New Jersey this year at other locations, including Hillsboroughand Monroe.

• See Related: Coach Drops 3 North Jersey Bus Routes, Leaving Riders Fuming
• See Related: Public Outcry Continues In Essex County As Coach Ends 3 Bus Routes

NJ Transit’s emergency plan for Coach USA riders will begin on Monday, Oct. 9. Here’s where you can catch your new bus, according to NJ Transit:

New NJ TRANSIT #24 Line

• Serves the Central Avenue Corridor in Orange, East Orange, and Newark, and the Frelinghuysen Avenue/Newark Avenue Corridor in Newark and Elizabeth. Also serves East Jersey Street and Elizabeth Avenue, Elizabeth as well as Jersey Gardens. Provides service to Downtown Newark, Orange, and Elizabeth, and connections to NJT rail at Elizabeth, Orange, and Brick Church.
• Weekday 5:00 AM – 2:14 AM with service every 20 minutes, AM and PM peak, and Mid-day and every 30 minutes evenings and late night.
• Saturday 5:00 AM – 1:35 AM with service every 20 minutes mid-day, every 30 minutes early AM, evening and late night.
• Sunday 5:15 AM – 1:21 AM with service every 30 minutes, all day.

New NJ TRANSIT #31 Line

• Serves the South Orange Avenue Corridor from downtown South Orange, at the rail station, to Springfield Avenue in Newark, and continues to Penn Station, via Market Street, providing multi-modal connections.
• Weekday 5:00 AM – 1:53 AM with hourly service from South Orange and every 20 minutes AM and PM peak from South Orange Avenue/Dover Street Loop , and every 30 minutes off-peak, evenings and late night.
• Saturday 5:00 AM – 1:22 AM with hourly service from South Orange and every 30 minutes from Dover Street Loop.
• Sunday: 5:00 AM – 1:31 AM with service every 45 minutes in the mid-day from South Orange, and every 60 minutes early morning, evening and late night. All service operates South Orange – Newark Penn on Sunday.

New NJ TRANSIT #44 Line

• Connects Newark Penn Station with downtown Orange at the Orange Rail Station for multi-modal connectivity. Provides service to the Veteran’s Hospital in East Orange. Serves Tremont Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, Freeman Avenue, and Central Avenue in Orange, East Orange, and Newark.
• Weekday 5:00 AM – 12:28 AM with hourly service all day.
• Saturday 6:00 AM – 12:27 AM with hourly service all day.
• Sunday: 6:30 AM – 12:52 AM with service every 80 minutes all day.

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A&C BUS LINES

A&C announced that it will be ending service on Tuesday, Oct. 31. The independent bus company maintains four lines that serve the Jersey City area: the 30, 31, 32 and 33.

The company’s owners have said ridership on the four lines has dropped by 40 percent since the pandemic.

NJ Transit’s emergency plan for impacted A&C riders will start on Saturday, Oct. 28. Here’s where you can catch your new bus:

New NJ TRANSIT #8 Line replaces A&C #33 Line– Bergen Avenue

• Serves Bergen Avenue from Journal Square to JFK Boulevard at Van Nostrand Avenue, Old Bergen Road from JFK Boulevard at McAdoo Avenue to Neptune Avenue, and Garfield Avenue from Neptune Avenue to the Bayonne City Line at 54th Street. Connects to PATH at Journal Square.
• Weekday 5:15 AM – 8:45 PM with service every 15 minutes during the AM and PM peak and in the mid-day.
• Saturday 5:15 AM – 8:42 PM with service every 30 minutes all day.
• Sunday 5:15 AM – 8:41 PM with service every 30 minutes all day.

New NJ TRANSIT #9 Line replaces A&C #31 Line – Montgomery Street – West Side Avenue

• Connects the Montgomery Street corridor from West Side Avenue to Jersey Avenue, and the West Side Avenue Corridor from Danforth Avenue to Montgomery Street with the Hudson Bergen Light Rail (West Side Avenue Station), and PATH at Grove Street with Newport Mall and downtown Jersey City. Serves Society Hill as well. Provides only crosstown bus connection between Journal Square and Communipaw Avenue.
• Weekday 6:30 AM – 8:00 PM with service every 60 minutes all day.
• Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:45 PM with service every 60 minutes all day
• Sunday 10:00 AM – 7:50 PM with service every 60 minutes all day.

New NJ TRANSIT #14 Line replaces A&C #32 Line– Duncan – Mallory – NJ 440

• Connects Journal Square with Society Hill via Sip Avenue, Duncan Avenue, portions of West Side Avenue, and Mallory Avenue. Provides only service across NJ 440 to Hudson Mall and Stadium Plaza shopping center. Connects with HBLR at West Side Avenue Station and PATH at Journal Square.
• Weekday 7:10 AM – 8:33 PM with service every 40-45 minutes all day.
• Saturday 7:15 AM – 8:28 PM with service every 40 minutes all day.
• Sunday 7:15 AM – 8:27 PM with service every 40 minutes all day.

Current NJ TRANSIT #80 Line replaces A&C #30 Line– Greenville – Journal Square – Exchange Place

• Increased NJ TRANSIT #80 line service along West Side Avenue from Danforth Avenue to Sip Avenue, and along Sip Avenue from West Side Avenue to Journal Square. Provides connections to HBLR at West Side Avenue Station and PATH at JSQ.
• Service beginning and ending at Society Hill will operate as the #80S line.

According to NJ Transit, the #80S service will run on the following schedule:

• Weekday 5:39 AM – 9:00 PM with service every 15 – 20 minutes AM and PM peak and every 30 minutes mid-day.
• Saturday 5:42 AM – 8:29 PM with service every 30 – 40 minutes all day.
• Sunday 6:15 AM – 8:19 PM with service every 60 minutes all day.

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