Rutgers Campus Buses
Encyclopedia
Rutgers Campus Buses is the shuttle service used by students at Rutgers – New Brunswick to get around the different campuses. It is the second-largest bus service in New Jersey
, after NJ Transit. Service is provided by First Transit
all year round, including weekends and holidays. When the campus transit system is not in service, a smaller point-to-point shuttle called the "Knight Mover" is provided for the students.
Director Jack Molenaar announced that the L route would be discontinued due to budget cuts, effective 28 August 2010. Molenaar called the bus a "relic" and said it was "slowest and most underutilized" of the bus routes. There was significant opposition to the move, especially from graduate students and Highland Park
residents who had already made housing arrangements expecting the bus to be there. After 600 people signed an online petition calling for its reinstitution, a temporary LXc route was created for the 2010-11 school year, stopping at Cedar Lane every 30 minutes. A second bus was later added to shorten wait times to 15 minutes. In addition, the three weekend buses (A, EE, L) were reorganized into two all campus loop buses (1 and 2).
After the contract with previous operator Academy Bus
expired on June 30, 2011, First Transit
took over campus shuttle service. The main reason cited for the switch is cost. First Transit will refurbish existing buses and supply new ones for a total of 50 buses that use 20% biodiesel
and feature automatic stop announcements, whereas now drivers may or may not announce stops.
Academy has filed a lawsuit against the University over the loss of the contract. Despite the loss of shuttle operations, the company continues to provide the chartered bus operations used for tours and other events.
Weekday Transit Lines
Special Weekday Service
Weekend Service
Special Break Service
Former Bus Services
First Transit
was awarded the transit contract by the University, and replaced Academy Bus
in July 2011. Rutgers now has more 40-foot buses, and the existing New Flyers have been upgraded. A series of other changes have also taken place:
, monorail
, or light rail
. However, such plans have never materialized and the addition of the New Jersey Route 18 expressway has made it unnecessary. Closing College Avenue to non-bus traffic was also proposed, but indefinitely canceled in February 2010, due to excessive costs.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, after NJ Transit. Service is provided by First Transit
First Transit
First Transit, a division of FirstGroup America, is a United States-based subsidiary of the United Kingdom-based FirstGroup. It provides contract public transit and paratransit services, transit management services and transit consulting throughout North America...
all year round, including weekends and holidays. When the campus transit system is not in service, a smaller point-to-point shuttle called the "Knight Mover" is provided for the students.
History
Rutgers began to install new bus shelters in the summer of 2010. The new shelters incorporate red roofs to cast a red tone on the sidewalk, showcasing university colors. So far, only one shelter has been installed at the Rutgers Student Center bus stop.Director Jack Molenaar announced that the L route would be discontinued due to budget cuts, effective 28 August 2010. Molenaar called the bus a "relic" and said it was "slowest and most underutilized" of the bus routes. There was significant opposition to the move, especially from graduate students and Highland Park
Highland Park, New Jersey
Highland Park is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 13,982....
residents who had already made housing arrangements expecting the bus to be there. After 600 people signed an online petition calling for its reinstitution, a temporary LXc route was created for the 2010-11 school year, stopping at Cedar Lane every 30 minutes. A second bus was later added to shorten wait times to 15 minutes. In addition, the three weekend buses (A, EE, L) were reorganized into two all campus loop buses (1 and 2).
After the contract with previous operator Academy Bus
Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus service in northern New Jersey, line run service to/from New York City from points in central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the northeastern United States from Boston to Northern Virginia.-Under contract to NJ...
expired on June 30, 2011, First Transit
First Transit
First Transit, a division of FirstGroup America, is a United States-based subsidiary of the United Kingdom-based FirstGroup. It provides contract public transit and paratransit services, transit management services and transit consulting throughout North America...
took over campus shuttle service. The main reason cited for the switch is cost. First Transit will refurbish existing buses and supply new ones for a total of 50 buses that use 20% biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
and feature automatic stop announcements, whereas now drivers may or may not announce stops.
Academy has filed a lawsuit against the University over the loss of the contract. Despite the loss of shuttle operations, the company continues to provide the chartered bus operations used for tours and other events.
Routes
There are 11 routes on weekdays and 2 routes on weekends and holidays.Weekday Transit Lines
- A - College Avenue / Busch (Clockwise on Busch) - After 9pm, service between Busch and College Ave is reliant upon the "H" bus
- B - Busch / Livingston
- EE - College Avenue / Douglass / Cook via George Street
- F - College Avenue / Douglass / Cook via Route 18
- H - Busch / College Avenue (Counter Clockwise on Busch)
- LX - College Avenue / Livingston
- REXB - Busch / Douglass
- REXL - Douglass / Livingston
Special Weekday Service
- C - Busch Commuter Loop
- New BrunsQuick Ward Shuttle
Weekend Service
- Weekend 1 - College Ave / Busch / Livingston / Douglass / Cook
- Weekend 2 - College Avenue / Douglass / Cook / Livingston / Busch
Special Break Service
- All Campus 1 - College Ave / Busch / Livingston / Douglass / Cook
- All Campus 2 - College Avenue / Douglass / Cook / Livingston / Busch
- New BrunsQuick Ward Shuttle (Runs on select days)
Former Bus Services
- L College Avenue/Livingston via Highland Park
- LXc - College Avenue / Livingston (Returns to College Ave via Cedar Lane in Highland Park, and River Road)
- G Busch/Cook/Douglass via busch campus center
- GG Busch/College Ave/Cook/Douglass via George Street
Weekends and Holidays
- Weekend 1 - College Ave / Busch / Livingston / Douglass / Cook
- Weekend 2 - College Avenue / Douglass / Cook / Livingston / Busch
Current
- New Flyer D60LF articulated busArticulated busAn articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...
- Nova BusNova BusNova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
LFS - Ford F550Ford F550-Operators:The Ford F550 is a class 5 Ford conventional truck.Its configuration is unique in its weight class in that the model shares fenders, hood and grille as well as the cab with a pickup model. 2005 and later models have a wide track front axle, with Gray plastic fender and bumper...
Shuttle Bus (for New BrunsQuick shuttle)
Past
- Nova BusNova BusNova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
RTS RT8O-2N
First Transit
First Transit
First Transit, a division of FirstGroup America, is a United States-based subsidiary of the United Kingdom-based FirstGroup. It provides contract public transit and paratransit services, transit management services and transit consulting throughout North America...
was awarded the transit contract by the University, and replaced Academy Bus
Academy Bus
Academy Bus Lines is a bus company in New Jersey providing local bus service in northern New Jersey, line run service to/from New York City from points in central New Jersey, and contract and charter service in the northeastern United States from Boston to Northern Virginia.-Under contract to NJ...
in July 2011. Rutgers now has more 40-foot buses, and the existing New Flyers have been upgraded. A series of other changes have also taken place:
- All buses now have automated stop annunciation to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Additional weekend buses have been added, with three running at a time at the latest hours of night
- Buses run on Biodiesel and produce near-zero NOx and PM emissions
Alternative plans
Several times over the past decade, it has been suggested that the bus system be partially or fully replaced with bus rapid transitBus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
, monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
, or light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
. However, such plans have never materialized and the addition of the New Jersey Route 18 expressway has made it unnecessary. Closing College Avenue to non-bus traffic was also proposed, but indefinitely canceled in February 2010, due to excessive costs.