Town eyes fall start for shuttle

Township manager unveils plans for SMART service.

By: Joseph Harvie
   A township-run shuttle system connecting residential neighborhoods to area train stations and park-and-rides could be up and running by September, Township Manager Matt Watkins said Tuesday.
   The South Brunswick Municipal Area Residential Transit’s SMART shuttles would pick up residents at designated neighborhood stops and take them to train stations in New Brunswick and Princeton Junction, and the Park and Ride at the intersection of Routes 130 and 32, Mr. Watkins said. The 20-seat shuttles would also make return runs at the end of the day to bring commuters home, he said.
   The shuttle buses also would be used after rush-hour to bring senior citizens and developmentally disabled township residents to different township locations such as shopping centers, doctors’ offices, and the township Senior Center on Route 522, Mr. Watkins said.
   Mr. Watkins said the SMART bus system would be run like the township water and sewer utility with its own budget. He said that he was looking to earmark $350,000 for the system, but would use only about $300,000 a year to operate the system.
   In 2003, the township worked to get $4.1 million in federal transportation money set aside for the SMART bus system. The money, which was given to NJ Transit, will be used to purchase equipment for the project, such as the shuttles and a Global Positioning System for the buses. The money would also be used to start the process of purchasing land in the township to build park-and-rides for the system, Mr. Watkins said.
   The township has also applied for an additional $2 million in federal cash this year to help pay for the system, Mr. Watkins said.
   Mr. Watkins said that there would be three shuttles working within three different routes, which are still being designed. The routes would run between 5 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. with full service running between 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. In the evening, the shuttles would run between 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with full service running between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Mr. Watkins said.
   During non-rush hour periods, the shuttles would be used as the township’s senior citizens and disabled persons shuttle service, taking those residents to shopping, medical and social locations, Mr. Watkins said.
   He said that the current township senior and disabled shuttle service is not as reliable as it should be. It was canceled 15 times last year, he said. The introduction of the SMART bus would improve senior transportation in the township, he said.
   "We have no depth in drivers, and if a couple of them call out sick we have to cancel that service for the day," Mr. Watkins said.
   "Last year we had to cancel the service 15 times," Mr. Watkins said. "And when you’re operating 200 days a year, 15 times becomes a big number.
   Mr. Watkins said that the township plans to meet with senior citizen and disabled persons groups such as Citizens for Independent Living to assess their needs and work with them on routes and scheduling.
   Mr. Watkins said that the key to the system would be the technology associated with it. He said the township purchased the GPS to keep track of the bus at all times. The information would be posted on the Internet, available through a call center and posted on electronic signs at the bus stops.
   "We all know that sometimes Route 1 can be impossible in the mornings," Mr. Watkins said. "We want the public to know at all times were the bus is and when it is expected at their stop."
   Mr. Watkins said the last component of the SMART bus would be the creation of township park-and-rides. He said that the township is still trying to pinpoint locations, will purchase the land and build 100- to 150-spot lots.
   As of now, the park-and-rides would be the only fee associated with the bus system, Mr. Watkins said. He proposed that the bus system should be free for at least the first year, with advertisements on the buses and at bus stops and federal, state and regional transportation grants helping to cover the costs of running the system. Having a free system would make it more desirable to customers, Mr. Watkins said, which would help boost ridership.
   "The only way to make this work is to have people use the system," Mr. Watkins said. "If we’re running shuttles with only two people on it to the transit nodes, then the system will fail."
   Councilman Joe Camarota suggested the township look into getting bio-diesel fuel buses for the system to make it more environmentally sound.