Service to be free, at least in the beginning
By: Courtney Gross
When Princeton Borough’s jitney begins its expected service in early 2008 it will be offered at no charge at least at first.
But that free ride for the commuter-friendly service is subject to change, borough officials said, depending on the success, demand and the funding available.
And when the long awaited jitney is jump-started, the shuttle service would most likely cruise the borough’s streets during the morning and evening rush hours only, Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said.
The minibus, commonly referred to as "the jitney," will be provided by NJ Transit and should arrive late this year, but officials are expected to gauge ridership and operating costs before placing the vehicle into service as an all-day shuttle for residents around Princeton.
Designed to better link commuters with the Dinky, the shuttle service would most likely run from about 6 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. to start, Mr. Bruschi said.
Compliments of NJ Transit’s Community Shuttle Program, the service would be funded in part through subsidies that are reduced yearly in $10,000 increments. Starting at $30,000 for the first operating year, the amount decreases to $20,000 for the second and $10,000 for the third and final year, Mr. Bruschi said.
Because of these funding restraints, the borough is planning to initially limit the jitney’s operating hours.
This year, Mr. Bruschi will recommend a $50,000 appropriation in the parking and utilities budget for the jitney, which would help kick off the service. "I will hurl myself in front of a speeding jitney to keep it in there," Mr. Bruschi said in mock seriousness of the appropriation.
At a Regional Planning Board of Princeton Circulation Subcommittee meeting Tuesday morning, Mr. Bruschi explained the lowest cost estimate for running the service was $50,438 and that is for just the morning and evening commute.
If the borough wanted to increase those hours from 5:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with additional hours on Saturday, the cost would jump by more than $100,000 to $157,516, according to budget estimates drafted by Mr. Bruschi. That figure could be reduced to $136,500 if the service were run by a third party, which is currently being considered, borough officials said.
"If we’re committed to this as a community," Mr. Bruschi said, "we have to be committed to getting it off the ground."
To reduce some of the costs, borough officials suggested partnering with community organizations that would benefit from the service and possibly provide additional funding, such as Princeton University or the University Medical Center at Princeton.
The university is currently revising its own complimentary shuttle service that transports students and faculty throughout the campus. University Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee, who attended Tuesday’s meeting with other community representatives, said he was excited about the borough’s jitney program.
But, Mr. Durkee said, he could not guarantee what the university’s shuttle program would look like in the future questioning the likelihood for a possible linkage.
For the borough, nearly 80 percent of residents would be within walking distance of the jitney, Mr. Bruschi said, and the entire route would take approximately 20 minutes.
The proposed route would begin at Borough Hall and loop around the municipality, from Bayard Lane to Paul Robeson Place through Hamilton Avenue, a right on Harrison, and finally back around onto Nassau Street. The tail end of the trip includes a stop at the Dinky station on University Place. "We want to make it as convenient as possible," Mr. Bruschi said. "Basically thoughtless."
Officials the service has the potential to expand into Princeton Township with a stop specifically at the Princeton Shopping Center. "I think the operative word is ‘start,’" Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman said. "This is the beginning. There is nothing to suggest we can’t revisit this and expand."

