Upcoming Coach USA ONE Bus Cuts - Sunday and Evening Service

[checkmatechamp13]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nj.com/news/2023/07/upcoming-coach-usa-bus-service-cuts-concern-jersey-gardens-workers-city-official.html%3foutputType=amp

I first heard about it from a woman at the Broad Street train station who was talking about how the 31 was going to lose Sunday service in a couple of weeks. I didn't believe it, but apparently it is a serious proposal. It takes effect July 17th.

Edited July 13, 2023 by checkmatechamp13

[jass]

I saw a Coach bus at 9:30pm last week and it looked to be at 60% capacity.

Insane cuts.

And neither NJT nor Newark have any plans to help.

 

 

[DCTransitFilms]

Judging by these changes could ONE Bus potentially go under in the future? 

[FlxMtroD]

1 hour ago, DCTransitFilms said:

Judging by these changes could ONE Bus potentially go under in the future? 

It's certainly possible. Like DeCamp, they haven't received any COVID emergency funds. That's why you see service cuts, discontinued routes or service and closures of some bus companies. 

NJT has no choice but to have a plan in place when the inevitable happens. 

[go25]

You had DeCamp cutting commuter service, ONE Bus cutting Sunday services on the 24, 31, and 44. And then Montgomery & Westside IBOA is shutting down in October. Its definitely a time changing reality

[DCTransitFilms]

Off-topic but didn't ONE bus also struggled with a lack of drivers?

[DCTransitFilms]

12 minutes ago, go25 said:

You had DeCamp cutting commuter service, ONE Bus cutting Sunday services on the 24, 31, and 44. And then Montgomery & Westside IBOA is shutting down in October. Its definitely a time changing reality

 

2 hours ago, FlxMtroD said:

It's certainly possible. Like DeCamp, they haven't received any COVID emergency funds. That's why you see service cuts, discontinued routes or service and closures of some bus companies. 

NJT has no choice but to have a plan in place when the inevitable happens. 

Ngl I wouldn't be surprised if ONE Bus went under and NJT took them over again

[Cait Sith]

6 hours ago, jass said:

I saw a Coach bus at 9:30pm last week and it looked to be at 60% capacity.

Insane cuts.

And neither NJT nor Newark have any plans to help.

The problem is how can they help? NJT can't get involved unless they take over the routes, which is also another problem because NJT needs more garage space to house the buses. Hilton, Big Tree and Orange are at capacity already and I don't think Ironbound can take on any more buses.

[B35 via Church]

#24 service has gotten so bad, that now you have taxi's (well, more like personal vehicle owners functioning as taxi's) transporting riders b/w Downtown Elizabeth & Jersey Gardens.... Take that for whatever it's worth....

Ever since the #31 got cut back from Livingston Mall, service hasn't been remotely the same... It went from being relatively reliable (the {then} full routed & the short turn trips), to now the select trips to S. Orange coming whenever they want (if at all), and even the short turn trips to Dover st. are increasingly not showing up....

Out of the 3 routes, the one I have the least hope for by far, is the #44 (and not because it runs along Central w/ the #24 either)... I'm somewhat surprised they still had it running weekends, TBH...

[46Dover]

7 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

#24 service has gotten so bad, that now you have taxi's (well, more like personal vehicle owners functioning as taxi's) transporting riders b/w Downtown Elizabeth & Jersey Gardens.... Take that for whatever it's worth....

Ever since the #31 got cut back from Livingston Mall, service hasn't been remotely the same... It went from being relatively reliable (the {then} full routed & the short turn trips), to now the select trips to S. Orange coming whenever they want (if at all), and even the short turn trips to Dover st. are increasingly not showing up....

Out of the 3 routes, the one I have the least hope for by far, is the #44 (and not because it runs along Central w/ the #24 either)... I'm somewhat surprised they still had it running weekends, TBH...

That’s a real shame about the 24.  
 

I had no idea about the 31 not serving Livingston Mall anymore.  The 44 is (part of) what I need for my train to bus connection to get to the Veterans Hospital for doctors appointments, even with it’s ridiculous headways 

[Silver Script]

8 hours ago, 46Dover said:

That’s a real shame about the 24.  
 

I had no idea about the 31 not serving Livingston Mall anymore.  The 44 is (part of) what I need for my train to bus connection to get to the Veterans Hospital for doctors appointments, even with it’s ridiculous headways 

 

The 31 service beyond South Orange towards St. Barnabas/Livingston Mall or towards Maplewood Loop stopped in 2018 or 2019 I think. Probably due to low ridership.

[go25]

2 hours ago, Silver Script said:

 

The 31 service beyond South Orange towards St. Barnabas/Livingston Mall or towards Maplewood Loop stopped in 2018 or 2019 I think. Probably due to low ridership.

The Maplewood Loop segment was dead. However, the Livingston Mall part of the route was heavy, especially on weekends that I recall, circa 2009 to 2011

[Mtatransit]

To be honest all these NJ private commuter/transit operators lasted well beyond anyone else throughout the rest of the country. It is time to get NJT to directly operate or put out to bid some of these routes, which now suffers from losses, reduced service and unreliable service

[B35 via Church]

23 hours ago, 46Dover said:

That’s a real shame about the 24.  
 

I had no idea about the 31 not serving Livingston Mall anymore.  The 44 is (part of) what I need for my train to bus connection to get to the Veterans Hospital for doctors appointments, even with it’s ridiculous headways 

Yep, they cut back the lion's share of #31 service to Dover st. literally when 2017 ended.... Service to/from South Orange RR is supposed to be hourly, but nowadays, I would not bank on actually waiting for a bus to run past Dover st. on weekends.....

[checkmatechamp13]

So here's my "better than nothing" plan to provide emergency service to the areas affected by the Sunday/evening service cuts. (These changes only take effect on Sundays/evenings). For the record, I think the best plan is to just maintain the service as-is and just work it out funding-wise, but anyway.

#59 has branch created down Frelinghuysen Avenue. (Those Roselle Park short-turns would be used on Sundays, in addition to a few extra trips to/from Elizabeth later in the evening)

#58 extended to Jersey Gardens via South 5th Street, Jersey Street, and 3rd Street. (Or run it down 1st Street and have the #115 serve Elizabethport along 3rd Street...I think that area could use a direct route to Manhattan anyway, and the #115 could use the ridership)

#71/73 routed up Central Avenue (One can take the 24A route and the other can take the 24B route, or both can take the 24A route since that part of Central Avenue has no alternative)

Branch of the #1 created that takes South Orange Avenue to either Sanford Avenue or Centre Street, serves the VA Hospital, and then continues down Tremont Avenue and Scotland Road to terminate at Erie Loop. 

[Lawrence St]

On 7/20/2023 at 2:40 AM, checkmatechamp13 said:

So here's my "better than nothing" plan to provide emergency service to the areas affected by the Sunday/evening service cuts. (These changes only take effect on Sundays/evenings). For the record, I think the best plan is to just maintain the service as-is and just work it out funding-wise, but anyway.

#59 has branch created down Frelinghuysen Avenue. (Those Roselle Park short-turns would be used on Sundays, in addition to a few extra trips to/from Elizabeth later in the evening)

#58 extended to Jersey Gardens via South 5th Street, Jersey Street, and 3rd Street. (Or run it down 1st Street and have the #115 serve Elizabethport along 3rd Street...I think that area could use a direct route to Manhattan anyway, and the #115 could use the ridership)

#71/73 routed up Central Avenue (One can take the 24A route and the other can take the 24B route, or both can take the 24A route since that part of Central Avenue has no alternative)

Branch of the #1 created that takes South Orange Avenue to either Sanford Avenue or Centre Street, serves the VA Hospital, and then continues down Tremont Avenue and Scotland Road to terminate at Erie Loop. 

Like the 1 doesn't have enough branches to begin with 

[checkmatechamp13]

So I took the 24A and it's even worse than mentioned in the media. The buses are (basically) out of service by 8pm, not just leaving the terminal as was implied. Here are the first/last buses on the 24A/B route:

Weekdays Eastbound:

24A: 5:32am - 6:24pm out of Erie Loop

24B: 5:00am - 6:01pm out of Erie Loop

Weekdays Westbound:

24A: 6:00am - 6:01pm out of Jersey Gardens (with a 5:28am trip out of Elizabeth Seaport)

24B: 6:24am - 5:53pm out of Jersey Gardens (with 5:00am and 5:50am trips out of Elizabeth Seaport)

Saturdays Eastbound:

24A: 5:32am - 5:50pm out of Erie Loop

24B: 5:00am - 6:36pm out of Erie Loop

Saturdays Westbound:

24A: 6:22am - 5:34pm out of Jersey Gardens (with a 5:30am trip out of Elizabeth Seaport)

24B: 6:59am - 5:47pm out of Jersey Gardens (with 5:00am and 6:00am trips out of Elizabeth Seaport).

It should be noted that the Elizabeth Seaport is basically the stop by the Coach USA Depot (so the 24B trips that start there are actually starting from the Jersey Gardens-bound 24A stop. Not sure how the 24A trips that start from that point get back onto their regular route on 1st Street). 

I think it's ridiculous that they have buses deadheading from Erie Loop rather than running in-service, when the depot is literally at the other end of the route. 

[Silver Script]

I just happened to randomly go on their site to check the schedules and it's been updated finally (though It probably was not long after July 17th) 

 

Anyway here they are 

The 31 - https://web.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/95/route31.pdf

The 24 - https://web.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/95/route24.pdf

The 44 - https://web.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/95/route44.pdf

[DCTransitFilms]

And now they’re discontinuing all service lol