Town steering riders away from NJ Transit
Apparently there is a real concerted push to deny area residents the use of NJ Transit buses.

At a time when NJ Transit bus riders are being denied parking at the Pathmark parking lot on Racetrack Road, the East Brunswick Parking Authority announced that the NJ Transit #68 bus will be denied access to the new Transportation and Commerce Center

TCC) once it opens in October. This particular bus services Old Bridge and East Brunswick and takes riders to Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehauken. Many riders, such as myself, transfer to the PATH train in Jersey City to get to lower Manhattan.

Coach USA (Suburban Transit) has announced that it will run buses from the TCC to Jersey City only, ignoring riders who need to go between Old Bridge, Hoboken and Weehauken. Coach proposes to run six buses, whereas NJ Transit runs nine to 10 buses daily on the #68 route. Furthermore, Coach is charging more for 10- trip passes than NJ Transit does and doesn't offer monthly passes as NJ Transit does.

This is just a divisive tactic to force more commuters to use Coach buses and to pay more money to boot.

It is divisive because it will split the Jersey City service between the two bus companies and the end result will be fewer buses for all from which to choose. Eventually, riders who walk to NJ Transit bus stops south of the TCC will find those services being curtailed due to ridership drop-off and will have to drive to the TCC. This will cost commuters more money in gas and parking fees and place more cars on already-crowded Route 18.

It is also disingenuous to announce this denial of service at the TCC to NJ Transit a mere two weeks in advance. This is hardly a service to the commuters who must now protest the decision instead of being part of it.

Some 400 to 500 riders a day take the 10 buses on the NJ Transit #68 run, for years now, and can honestly say that the modern and clean bus equipment and steady stable of bus drivers have made it a wonderful riding experience. I myself have no complaints.

East Brunswick Township should be encouraging competition by allowing NJ Transit to service the TCC directly. The township should not be a party toward steering riders away from the reliable, cheaper, more frequent and wider-ranging service that NJ Transit provides. The township should be an advocate to providing cheaper bus service from NJ Transit for residents of the area.

Jeffrey H. Wasserman

East Brunswick