31 Bus To Cease Operation Effective October 8, 2023

According to an article in Tap Into SOMA, the Coach Franchise operated 31 bus which connects South Orange with Newark will cease operation on October 8, 2023 for budgetary reasons.  This would leave a significant number of South Orange residents without any local bus service at a time  when South Orange is looking to build its identity as a community where residents do not need a car to get around.  It would force more South Orange residents to use a car to get to vital destinations in the South Orange Avenue business district and to locations in Newark not directly accessed by the NJT trains on the Morris and Essex Line.  It would increase commuting cost for South Orange residents who can no longer afford the more expensive train in this period of raising prices.  I doubt there is anything that can be done to reverse this decision.  I am hoping that public outcry combined with support from the BOT might get NJT to consider taking over the route.  Hope is that South Orange residents will do what they can to save this bus service.

joan_crystal said:

According to an article in Tap Into SOMA, the Coach Franchise operated 31 bus which connects South Orange with Newark will cease operation on October 8, 2023 for budgetary reasons.  This would leave a significant number of South Orange residents without any local bus service at a time  when South Orange is looking to build its identity as a community where residents do not need a car to get around.  It would force more South Orange residents to use a car to get to vital destinations in the South Orange Avenue business district and to locations in Newark not directly accessed by the NJT trains on the Morris and Essex Line.  It would increase commuting cost for South Orange residents who can no longer afford the more expensive train in this period of raising prices.  I doubt there is anything that can be done to reverse this decision.  I am hoping that public outcry combined with support from the BOT might get NJT to consider taking over the route.  Hope is that South Orange residents will do what they can to save this bus service.

That seems insane there will be no public transit option connecting South Orange to Newark.

Who can we contact at NJT?

https://njtransit.my.salesforce-sites.com/customerservice/site_app#/contactus

yahooyahoo said:

That seems insane there will be no public transit option connecting South Orange to Newark.

Who can we contact at NJT?

There will still be the 107 bus but it serves only those in walking distance of Irvington Avenue.  It should be noted that residents in the northeast section of Maplewood who live in walking distance of South Orange Avenue would also be negatively impacted as would everyone in both towns who relied on the 31 bus whenever NJT was on strike. 

@rcarter31 posted a link to NJT.  However, since the 31 is NOT an NJT route but one served by a private carrier under franchise to NJT I am not sure what NJT can do other than take over the route themselves.  I have written to the mayors of both Maplewood and South Orange in which I quoted the Tap Into article and asked what can be done politically to reverse the drain on public transportation options in our area. If and when I receive a response I will share it here.

Anyone who wants to protest the loss of the 31 route should contact their municipal and State officials as well as officials at NJT and point out the negative impact loss of this service will have on Maplewood and South Orange in addition to its impact on Newark.

I remember taking the 31 bus when I was a child.  It was operated by Trackless Transit, which was replaced by/renamed NJT.  NJT found it to be an unprofitable route and turned the route monopoly over to a private bus company which cut down service and routing.  Apparently, the private bus line has also found it to be unprofitable.  Good luck trying to get NJT to resume service on a line they gave up long ago.  But it may happen.

There used to be an NJ Transit bus route down Valley Street, but I can't recall when it was discontinued.

yahooyahoo said:

There used to be an NJ Transit bus route down Valley Street, but I can't recall when it was discontinued.

That was the portion of the 31 Coach bus route that connected South Orange Avenue with Maplewood Loop.  Coach also ran a 32 bus at one time that ran along Prospect Street to Maplewood Center (now more generally referred to as Maplewood Village)

I heard NJT will be taking over the lines in Essex and Hudson counties that coach is terminating. Announcement coming soon.

Jaytee said:

I heard NJT will be taking over the lines in Essex and Hudson counties that coach is terminating. Announcement coming soon.

Source please.

joan_crystal said:

Source please.

My friend from west orange who commutes by bus said the bus driver mentioned it to him. I can do a google search and see if anything pops up. He said it’s about six routes that njt will take over, some in Jersey City also. It’s just hearsay on my end.

Here’s a link, 

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/20230929b.shtml

Jaytee said:

Here’s a link, 

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/20230929b.shtml

New NJ TRANSIT #31 Line
Serves the South Orange Avenue Corridor from downtown South Orange, at the rail station, to Springfield Avenue in Newark, and continues to Penn Station, via Market Street, providing multi-modal connections.

Weekday 5:00 AM – 1:53 AM with hourly service from South Orange and every 20 minutes AM and PM peak from South Orange Avenue/Dover Street Loop , and every 30 minutes off-peak, evenings and late night.

Saturday 5:00 AM – 1:22 AM with hourly service from South Orange and every 30 minutes from Dover Street Loop.

Sunday: 5:00 AM – 1:31 AM with service every 45 minutes in the mid-day from South Orange, and every 60 minutes early morning, evening and late night. All service operates South Orange – Newark Penn on Sunday.

Jaytee said:

I heard NJT will be taking over the lines in Essex and Hudson counties that coach is terminating. Announcement coming soon.

I spoke with Dean Dafis this morning.  He told me that this is being advocated for but is not yet a done deal.  It still has to be approved by the State legislature. 

joan_crystal said:

I spoke with Dean Dafis this morning.  He told me that this is being advocated for but is not yet a done deal.  It still has to be approved by the State legislature. 

I’m pretty sure it will be approved. Apparently a lot of people have been upset about this, and they’ve been calling the governor. 

Jaytee said:

joan_crystal said:

I spoke with Dean Dafis this morning.  He told me that this is being advocated for but is not yet a done deal.  It still has to be approved by the State legislature. 

I’m pretty sure it will be approved. Apparently a lot of people have been upset about this, and they’ve been calling the governor. 

Any word on the approval? I wasn't able to find anything.

yahooyahoo said:

Any word on the approval? I wasn't able to find anything.

Nothing official.  I read one article that said there would be hourly service to South Orange  but  I am not familiar with the source.  Have you checked the NJT website to see if the route is listed there?  If so, they should have a downloadable schedule.

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joan_crystal said:

Nothing official.  I read one article that said there would be hourly service to South Orange  but  I am not familiar with the source.  Have you checked the NJT website to see if the route is listed there?  If so, they should have a downloadable schedule.

I just checked the NJT website.  The 31 bus schedule is there with hourly service to South Orange.  Schedule identifies it as an NJT bus.  Next battle is to get NJT to restore the portion of the 31 route that terminated at Maplewood Loop, where passengers could transfer to the 25 or 70 bus.  Coach discontinued that portion of the route several years ago.