NJ TRANSIT ADJUSTS WEEKDAY BUS SCHEDULES

Special Weekday Schedule Begins Monday, March 30 to Accommodate Essential Travel; All Travel Limited to Essential Personnel Only

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2020

NEWARK, NJ — Beginning Monday, March 30^th, NJ TRANSIT will adjust its weekday bus service to a special schedule to accommodate essential travel due to the decline in ridership related to COVID-19.  Complete weekday bus schedules are available on njtransit.com by clicking HERE.

Also, beginning Monday, March 30^th, bus service will no longer operate out of Vince Lombardi Park & Ride.  Customers should utilize the nearby North Bergen Park & Ride facility.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 response, customers are strongly encouraged to sign up for My Transit alerts and activate push notifications on the mobile app to receive the latest status of the system.

“I am very proud of the nearly 12,000 NJ TRANSIT employees, particularly those on the front lines. These dedicated men and women are continuing to deliver the vital bus, rail, light rail and Access Link transit services that essential personnel like first responders, healthcare, childcare and grocery workers depend on,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “We will continue to take any and all measures to keep our customers and employees safe while providing essential services for those on the front lines combating COVID-19.”

As an added precautionary measure to protect bus operators and customers, NJ TRANSIT has implemented rear-door boarding on all bus routes where rear-boarding is available. Seats near the bus operator have been taken out of service to allow for proper social distancing for the operator.  Customers are encouraged to use the NJ TRANSIT mobile ticketing app or purchase paper tickets prior to boarding to limit cash transactions with the bus operator. Travel should be limited to essential personnel only.

In addition to the bus schedule adjustments, on Wednesday, March 25^th, previously announced service changes on light rail went into effect.

• Newark Light Rail weekday service is operating on a SATURDAY schedule
• RiverLINE weekday service is operating on a SUNDAY/HOLIDAY Schedule
• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) weekday service remains on a regular weekday schedule

Rail continues to operate weekday service on a Presidents Day schedule with enhancements including the following additions:

• Raritan Valley Line (RVL) service to/from High Bridge.
• Service to/from Hackettstown.
• Additional stops at Teterboro, Woodcliff Lake, Avenel, Garwood and North Elizabeth Stations
  • Important Note: The Presidents Day schedule does NOT include service at Jersey Ave. Station
• Pascack Valley Line (PVL) rail service is on a special weekday schedule to accommodate added stops at Teterboro and Woodcliff Lake.  Please visit njtransit.com or Trip Planner for more details.
• Additional early morning trains on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) and the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL).

Montclair-Boonton Line service west of Bay St. and Gladstone Branch rail service will both operate on weekdays only.

Customers should refer to the Presidents Day schedules in their printed timetables or in the PDF versions available online at njtransit.com. Please refer to the “Saturday/Sunday/Holiday” section in your schedule and look to the bottom of the shaded columns – anything operating on 2/17 refers to the Presidents Day schedule. These trains will operate in addition to all of the trains in the non-shaded columns.

Complete weekday rail schedules are now available at:

https://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=ServiceAdjustmentTo&AdjustmentId=9792

Access Link customers can use their mobile phones to check ride status, cancel, confirm and text for estimated arrival times. Customers may also customize their notifications.  For additional information, customers can email ACES@njtransit.com or call customer service.  Customers are also encouraged to sign up for My Transit Alerts by clicking the link provided or visiting www.njtransit.com and go to the My Transit Alert section.

NJ TRANSIT’s RESPONSE TO COVID-19

NJ TRANSIT continues enhanced cleaning efforts to include disinfecting vehicles every 24 hours. Hard surface cleaning and disinfecting typically includes handholds, arm rests, seating areas and restrooms.

Our enhanced cleaning regimen in stations includes additional disinfecting of frequent customer touchpoints such as ticket vending machines, handrails, door handles. In major stations and terminals, this occurs once every shift.

The cleaning agents used in this effort are deemed effective for these purposes and contain anti-viral components such as bleach/water mixes and other disinfectant sprays. Areas regularly cleaned include doors, door knobs, windows, benches, partitions, trash cans, elevators, escalators, handrails, ledges, all restrooms and floor surfaces and all floor mats.

NJ TRANSIT has a dedicated web page offering a centralized location to highlight the many initiatives the agency has undertaken to protect customers and employees against COVID-19. The web page, njtransit.com/COVID19, is available on both desktop and through the mobile app.

In addition to outlining the steps the agency has taken, the website also includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Posters reminding customers of best-practices to prevent the spread of germs have been installed on NJ TRANSIT vehicles throughout the system.

NJ TRANSIT is closely engaged with the New Jersey Department of Health and other state and federal resources to carefully monitor, and if need be, respond to emergent health concerns that have the ability to impact customers and employees.

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) offer the following preventative steps for the coronavirus:

• Stay home if you are sick
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, then wash hands

For more information, please visit the following websites: New Jersey Department of Health: https://www.nj.gov/health/; the CDC: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00427.asp.

Travel Advice:

• Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information.
• Customers are encouraged to download or update the NJ TRANSIT mobile app to set up and receive customized service alert information via push notifications.  Visit the You Tube video for easy instructions on setting up custom push notifications.
• Stay connected to NJ TRANSIT social media during your commute. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information:

• • Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
  • @NJTRANSIT_NEC
  • @NJTRANSIT_NJCL
  • @NJTRANSIT_ME
  • @NJTRANSIT_MOBO
  • @NJTRANSIT_MBPJ
  • @NJTRANSIT_PVL
  • @NJTRANSIT_RVL
  • @NJTRANSIT_ACRL
  • @NJTRANSIT_HBLR
  • @NJTRANSIT_NLR
  • @NJTRANSIT_RL
  • @NJTRANSIT_NBUS (North Jersey Bus)
  • @NJTRANSIT_SBUS (South Jersey Bus)
  • Facebook:  facebook.com/NJTRANSIT
  • YouTube Channel:  TheNewJerseyTransit

• Sign up for the My Transit alert system on njtransit.com, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone via email or text.
• Allow extra time getting to and from your destination.
• Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.