NJ TRANSIT receives federal grant for Hudson bus network re-design

NJ TRANSIT has announced that it has received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a study to examine the current bus network in Hudson County and surrounding areas.

In order to help re-assess, re-design and improve services that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, NJ TRANSIT is one of 50 transit agencies from 24 states that have been selected to share $25 million. Currently, the agency is conducting similar studies called NewBus Newark and NewBus Burlington-Camden-Gloucester to re-design the local bus networks in those regions.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly challenging for transit agencies across the country and NJ TRANSIT is no exception,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “These federal funds will ensure that bus riders in Hudson County have optimal access to public transportation.”

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“Building on the positive progress of our NewBus Newark and NewBus Burlington-Camden-Gloucester projects, NJ TRANSIT is pleased to continue the holistic re-imagining of our entire bus network through yet another bus network re-design project, now in Hudson County and the surrounding area,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. 

NJ TRANSIT’s $514,045 grant is provided through FTA’s Route Planning Restoration Program to help transit agencies with planning projects. Similar to the NewBus Newark and NewBus BCG studies, NewBus Hudson will improve service and accessibility to jobs, education, re-creation, and other opportunities, as well as help NJ TRANSIT adapt the bus network to meet communities’ changing mobility needs.

The Hudson bus network re-design will restructure the regional bus system to make the network more attractive and equitable to current and future customers. The NewBus Hudson initiative will include a detailed performance analysis of how well the existing system meets the needs of customers, as well as a robust outreach effort that continuously engages the public and stakeholders throughout the study, and identifies new activity centres and emerging travel destinations with service recommendations that are implementable.