Public Outcry Continues In East Orange As Coach Ends Bus Routes

THE ORANGES, NJ — Some East Orange residents use Coach buses to get to work. Others use them to access critical services, such as a local Veterans Affairs hospital. But soon, they’ll have to find another way to get around – and they’re raising a public outcry about the situation, city officials say.

Coach USA recently announced that it will be discontinuing service on three of its New Jersey routes: 24, 31 and 44. Read More: Coach USA Will Pull Plug On 3 Bus Routes In North Jersey

The routes run through Orange, Newark and Elizabeth (ONE), as well as South Orange and East Orange. Coach USA will discontinue service on these lines starting on Oct. 8.

The company blamed a “decrease in ridership, driver shortages and inflationary pressures on all operating expenses” for the upcoming service cuts.

The move has left riders across the region venting their frustrations. Read More: Coach Drops 3 North Jersey Bus Routes, Leaving Riders Fuming

A similar outcry took place in July, when Coach announced it was making service changes on the 31 and 44 routes prior to the latest round of cuts.

A NJ Transit spokesperson called the decision “disappointing” and said the agency is investigating potential solutions.

East Orange Mayor Ted Green summarized the feelings of many local residents who depend on Coach USA buses, as well as his fellow Essex County mayor, Ras Baraka, who has also blasted the service cuts.

“I join many of my fellow urban mayors and NJ Transit in my extreme disappointment with Coach’s decision to discontinue ONE bus service on three vital routes in our communities,” Green said.

“The hardship that this will create on many East Orange riders could be devastating without an alternative solution in near sight,” Green said.

The mayor continued:

“East Orange is a vibrant transit hub with easy and accessible connections to cities across the entire state of New Jersey. Many of our residents rely on Coach for transportation to and from work and to access critical services, including the Veterans Hospital, one of only two federal VA medical centers in the state. I am committed to working with all impacted parties to find a feasible solution that works for everyone.”

Meanwhile, city officials in East Orange have been fielding calls from constituents seeking governmental intervention and advocacy on this issue.

One of them, George Kaufer, recently sent an email to several transportation leaders and elected officials representing the affected towns.

“I also do not believe that ‘low ridership’ is an issue, as these routes all serve dense, urban corridors with high percentages of auto-less households,” Kaufer said. “If anything, more service is warranted, as many nationwide redesigns (including the NewBus Newark plan which omits the Coach USA ONE Bus routes) have shown that boosting service to ‘show up and go’ levels in these types of corridors can boost ridership if advertised properly.”

“The removal of service will also hinder efforts to revitalize certain corridors, as the lack of connectivity will make them less desirable as areas to live, work, shop or operate a business,” Kaufer said.

Kaufer’s other suggestions included extending services to destinations such as downtown South Orange, and negotiating route swaps between NJ Transit and Coach USA bus routes.

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