Loss of 31 Bus Routes to Maplewood Loop and Livingston Mall Effective January 1, 2018

https://jerseydigs.com/31-bus-service-livingston-maplewood-ending-january-1st/

According to the above linked article, bus service along Valley Street between South Orange Avenue and Millburn Avenue and bus service on Springfield Avenue from the vicinity of South Orange (precise termination point not given in the article) to Livingston Mall with a stop at St Barnabas Hospital could be eliminated as early as January 1, 2018.  This could be a serious problem to Maplewood and South Orange residents who rely on public transportation to get to these locations.  It would also eliminate our fail safe for getting to the City via mass transit in the event of a strike impacting NJT bus and train service.

So PSEG passed this route to Maplewood Loop off to Coach USA a long time ago because of falling revenue.  Service fell off following this transfer, and now Coach USA wants to abandon Maplewood Loop altogether.  (Am I the only person who remembers the 31 Prospect St route?)  For goodness sake, the schedule only operates now during rush hours.  After that you're stuck at Dover Street, or maybe soon at SO train station.

So much for the mass transportation initiative.

Loved the 32 bus (Coach's Prospect Street route that terminated in what we now call Maplewood Village).  It was one of the determining factors in our buying our Maplewood house. Unfortunately it was terminated about 35 years ago.  Agree low ridership is probably the basis for trying to terminate the 31 service to Maplewood and Livingston.  Don't know if it is sufficient justification for ending a service that even a small number of riders depend on and for which there is no alternative public transport available.

joan_crystal said:

Loved the 32 bus (Coach's Prospect Street route that terminated in what we now call Maplewood Village).  It was one of the determining factors in our buying our Maplewood house. Unfortunately it was terminated about 35 years ago.  Agree low ridership is probably the basis for trying to terminate the 31 service to Maplewood and Livingston.  Don't know if it is sufficient justification for ending a service that even a small number of riders depend on and for which there is no alternative public transport available.

Lack of available public transport is a fact of life in many places.  Much as we (legitimately) complain about our local transit services at times, we have it better than probably 90% of the rest of the country and better than much of the rest of our region. It would take a major change in (political, etc.) attitude to come to the approach of not eliminating transit options just because of low ridership or similar. 

Lack of adequate mass transit is why municipalities in our area spend tax levy dollars on providing Senior transportation services for residents of a certain age and one of the reasons residents no longer able to drive give for moving from municipalities in our area to locations/facilities that are able to better to meet this need.  Adequate mass transit is important for teens and others too young to drive to be able to develop a greater sense of independence than they otherwise could.  Communities like ours which are essentially bedroom communities, rely on mass transit options to get residents to and from work.  We should be advocating for expanded mass transit in other parts of the country rather than saying, "Oh well, what we have left is still better than what others may have."

This is definitely a move in the wrong direction.  People who are able and can afford to drive often are clueless as to the needs of those who rely on mass transit.  And there are many reasons people need mass transit--those who are legally blind, disabled, suspended license (for various reasons), lack of ability to afford to own, insure and maintain a car, and I'm sure there are some other categories I'm missing.  With stops at St. Barnabas and the Livingston Mall, the cut in service might either jeopardize the ability to maintain employment, or will force riders to find some other more time-consuming, circuitous route (if that is possible).  Mass transit is also smart from an environmental standpoint; the last thing needed is for more people (who have that option) jumping into cars and worsening the already considerable traffic congestion in this area.