NJ TRANSIT will hold two virtual sessions for the public to provide input on the recently launched NewBus Newark initiative, a project to redesign the local intrastate bus network in the greater Newark area for the first time in several decades. The public sessions will include a presentation on the project’s objectives as well as an opportunity for public comments and project input. Feedback from the meetings will help NJ TRANSIT gather information to set project goals and begin drafting recommendations.
NewBus Newark Virtual Public Meetings:
Thursday, April 8th at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Please visit the project website at www.njtransit.com\newbus to register for the meeting.
In addition to public input, the NewBus Newark initiative will include a detailed performance analysis of the area’s 38 local bus routes to assess the current transit market including where people live, where they work, and how they travel to best align service with demand.
Over the last few months, NJ TRANSIT has been reviewing data from the U.S. Census, ridership databases, and customer satisfaction surveys to learn about the local demand for transit and how riders use the network. The following are highlights of the information NJ TRANSIT has learned so far.
- In October 2019, the 38 routes in the study area carried an average of 180,000 customers each weekday, with the top seven routes accounting for 50 percent of the ridership within the entire study area.
- NJ TRANSIT bus riders rely on our service for their mobility: 44% do not own a car, 58% have household incomes below $35,000, and 80% ride the bus five or more times a week. Using U.S. Census data, NJ TRANSIT will determine where there are higher concentrations of zero-vehicle and low-income households to see where there may be higher demand for bus service.
- Only 30% of NJ TRANSIT bus trips are for non-work purposes. NJ TRANSIT is more heavily used for work trips because there is more service offered during the typical early morning and late afternoon commute periods. Increasing bus service during the midday and evenings may help expand ridership by inviting more of the public to ride the bus for non-work purposes.
Recommendations from the NewBus Newark initiative will seek to better address the greater Newark area’s mobility needs and enhance connections to other regional transportation services.
Completion of the NewBus Newark study and final recommendations are expected this summer.
For more information on the project please visitnjtransit.com/newbus
The NewBus Newark Fact Sheet is available HERE.
