A grassroots effort is underway to find alternatives for four A&C Bus routes slated to end in Jersey City on Halloween as electeds also work on a solution with NJ Transit.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
An Action Network petition created over the weekend by Ward B resident Amy Wilson generates a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy (D), state Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22), Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19), and New Jersey Transit President/CEO Kevin Corbett and has already sent 524 letters.
” … When talking about this issue to your friends and neighbors, a lot of people are under the impression that these lines are NJ Transit, because they cross-honor NJT tickets. But they’re not. It’s a private company, and they’re canceling the line on 10/31,” Wilson tweeted this morning.
Route Nos. 30, 31, 32, and 33, which service Society Hill, Montgomery Street and West Side Avenues, Route 440 Shopper, and Bergen Avenue, respectively, are all slated to go out of service by the end of October.
Similarly, a Change.org petition was started by Lycel Villanueva, another West Side resident, said that time is of the essence given the relatively short timeline before the buses go out of service.
“Our elected bodies of government have the responsibility to ensure that we are not marginalized just because of geography, demographics, & lifestyle … Jersey City must collaborate with Hudson County & New Jersey State Agencies to ensure our public transportation network – that is funded by our hard-earned tax dollars – is equitably shared by all,” he wrote.
“The time is ticking closer to October 31, 2023 when the bus services will cease. An effective & immediate plan must be implemented to make sure that there is no disruption in the bus services for the hard-working people of Jersey City’s west side.”
As of 7:30 p.m., that petition has 445 signatures.
Last week, Mayor Steven Fulop wrote a letter to A&C Bus and called on NJ Transit for a solution, joining elected leaders such as Assemblywoman AngelaMcKnight (D-31), also the Democratic nominee for state Senate, Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), and Ward E Councilman Jame Solomon.
While NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said they are already working with stakeholders on finding a solution, he acknowledged at the time that they may not be able to match all of the routes that are being discontinued.
“NJ Transit has already spoken to many stakeholders, including the Jersey City Mayor, and will continue to work with elected officials and communities, as well as private carriers, to investigate potential solutions,” he stated.
“However, NJ Transit may not have the resources necessary to replace all of the private bus services that are being discontinued.”
