Acommuter shuttle service that Sayreville officials battled over but decided to move forward with last October will not come to realization after all.
The Borough Council voted 4-2 against accepting the shuttle bus and grant from NJ Transit. The shuttle would have transported commuters between the borough’s two park-and-ride lots and the South Amboy Train Station during peak travel hours.
NJ Transit originally granted the borough a total of nearly $60,000 to be used over a three-year period. That would have included $30,000 in the first year, making the net cost to the borough around $9,000 for the project. The grant amount would be $20,000 the second year and $10,000 the third year. By the fourth year, the borough would be covering the cost of the service.
Last year, after months of discussion, the council voted 3-2 in favor of a resolution to notify NJ Transit that it would accept the grant. Those in favor said the program would help commuters, ease some congestion during peak hours, and would have little to no cost to the town. Those against said there was not enough information and feared it would bring unjustified costs.
“I’m still not sure what function this would provide,” Mayor Kennedy O’Brien said. He pointed to the fact that there is now ample space for parking at the South Amboy Train Station after a recent improvement project.
O’Brien said that with the economic crisis improving, more commuters are able to afford options outside of a free shuttle system, and most can drive themselves to the train station.
“In the two years since this process began, the world’s changed,” O’Brien said.
In defense of the project, borough Business Administrator Jeff Bertrand spoke to what it could bring to Sayreville.
“I think it would add an amenity to the borough,” Bertrand said. He said it could have an indirect correlation to property values, with commuters possibly wanting to move to the borough because of the availability of this system.
Councilman Frank Bella, who voted in favor of the shuttle along with David Kaiserman, said he still would like to see more information about the costs and benefits of the program.
Kaiserman also wanted to see the program. He advised that budget cuts in other areas could make room for the annual cost of the program.
While it would take only around 25 days to get the project going at a cost of $5,000 for a six-month trial, the council majority was still against it.
“Without fanfare, no,” Councilman Nicholas Perrette said.
Earlier in the discussion of the plan, Perrette raised the concern that commuters using the shuttle service would park on the borough’s side streets and clog them up.
“What about people not from Sayreville who would drive to Sayreville to use this, and park on our side streets?” he asked.
Councilwoman Lisa Eicher was also against the vote. She reminded the council and those present that this had already been discussed and that nothing had been done about it.
“No, because I’m tired of talking about it,” Eicher said.
Councilman Ken Kelly also voted no and agreed that there is plenty of parking available to commuters who want to ride the train from South Amboy.
“With the new train station completed, there are plenty of spaces available,” he said.
Officials also said there would be no direct way to create revenue from the project because the shuttle would be free to ride.
“We have a terrible budget year coming up,” O’Brien said. “If we don’t need it, then my personal opinion is that it needs to go.”