TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Nicholas J. Sacco and Sandra Bolden Cunningham, which would require bus and rail lines to provide 45 days notice of the discontinuation of certain routes, to local and county governments was approved today by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“People who rely on public transportation schedule their days around bus and train routes, and if they have been taking the same route for years, it often becomes a comfortable routine,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, who chairs the Senate Transportation panel. “This legislation would help to give local bus and train riders advanced notice of route cancellations and allow them to make other arrangements.”
“Throughout New Jersey, and in cities like Jersey City, in particular, many residents rely on public transportation to get to and from work, to run errands, and to just generally get from point A to point B,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “By providing these residents with notice of route closings ahead of time, they will be able to find other routes to get them to their destinations.”
TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Nicholas J. Sacco and Sandra Bolden Cunningham, which would require bus and rail lines to provide 45 days notice of the discontinuation of certain routes, to local and county governments was approved today by the Senate Transportation Committee.
“People who rely on public transportation schedule their days around bus and train routes, and if they have been taking the same route for years, it often becomes a comfortable routine,” said Senator Sacco, D-Hudson and Bergen, who chairs the Senate Transportation panel. “This legislation would help to give local bus and train riders advanced notice of route cancellations and allow them to make other arrangements.”
“Throughout New Jersey, and in cities like Jersey City, in particular, many residents rely on public transportation to get to and from work, to run errands, and to just generally get from point A to point B,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “By providing these residents with notice of route closings ahead of time, they will be able to find other routes to get them to their destinations.”
The Senators’ bill, S-1362, would require New Jersey Transit to provide 45 days written notice when it decides to discontinue service to specific routes. The notice would have to be provided to the county governments of each of the affected towns, and to the clerk of each municipality that has a bus stop on the route.
Under the bill, private bus and rail operators would be required to provide 45 days notice of a decision to discontinue service along a route. The advanced notice would be given to the board of chosen freeholders of the counties whose residents would be affected, and to the municipal clerk of each town that has a bus stop along the route.
The bill would also require that notice be placed on each bus of the route that is slated to be discontinued, at least 45 days prior to the change in service.
Private operators found violating the bill’s provisions would be fined $100 for each day that they fail to provide notice.
This measure now heads to the full Senate for approval.
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