Saddle River Tours New Operator Of Bergen County Local Bus Routes

The Record has reported that Saddle River Tours has further expanded its footprint in New Jersey and commuter bus service by winning NJ Transit's contract to run the Bergen County Local Bus Routes.  We previously reported that it lost a bid last year due to a technicality that allowed Coach USA's Community Coaches to continue to run the service until it could be rebid.  Saddle River recently outbid Community Coach by almost $500,000 to win the contract to run the routes for 7 years.  These are the 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 762, 772 and 780 lines.  We are glad to see them get this contract and wish them luck since they unfairly lost the bid in 2017.  Saddle River has also recently picked up other bus routes cancelled by other companies including Coach USA/Rockland's 11C and 20/84 routes as well as the Route 55 line, previously operated by Carefree Lines until they went under.

Saddle River Tours Wins Local Bergen Bus Routes Contract - Until It Doesn't

The Record is reporting that NJ Transit retracted a winning bid by Saddle River Tours for a seven year contract to operate eight Bergen County local bus routes. Coach USA's Community Coach lines has been operating the 751,752,753,755,756,762,772, and 780 routes under contract for the past seven years.  These routes carried almost a million passengers in 2016 according to NJT.  Saddle River actually submitted a lower bid than the incumbent Community Coach, and thought it had won the contract back in September.  However, it was recently notified that the bid was retracted on a technicality - because Community didn't have an opportunity to make the required oral presentation for the bid.  Community is maintaining the contract for another year - at a contract rate that is $720,000 MORE than Saddle River Tours' bid for the year.  That is an additional $720,000 that will be paid by New Jersey taxpayers at a time when transit funding is scarce.

In 2014, Saddle River took over Coach USA's 11C and 20/84 routes that run through Bergen County to the George Washington Bridge when Rockland Coaches abandoned them.  They were the only company to step in to provide the GWB service with the hope of expanding operations in Bergen and other counties.

NJT Board minutes call the contracting process a "competitive procurement process."  We don't see it.   The losing bid came in $720,000 lower than the winning bid for this year.  How is that competitive?  Coach USA likewise has a history of cutting bus service in Bergen County, yet is mysteriously awarded another year on the Bergen contract despite being outbid by Saddle River. We call shenanigans on the NJT Board.

We hope SRT can either successfully mount a legal challenge, or win the contract when it is up for bid in 2018.  This will be a lot tougher now that Coach USA knows its bidding strategy.  

Three Routes Picked for Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit

Bergen County and NJ Transit have picked three potential new routes for a new Bergen County Bus Rapid Transit system.  As we have been reporting, the County and NJ Transit have been studying a Bus Rapid Transit System and have now narrowed the original nine proposed routes down to three. The routes are:

• Montvale Park and Ride to the Secaucus Junction Rail Station via Paramus Park, Bergen Community College and Garden State Plaza.
• Paramus Park Mall to the Secaucus Junction Rail Station via Bergen Community College, Garden State Plaza and Hackensack.
• Englewood Hospital to Paterson via Hackensack and Garden State Plaza.

More details about these routes are available here.  Some of the routes that weren't picked for implementation travelled from Bergen County to New York City.  Officials cited overcrowding at the Port Authority as part of the reason these routes weren't picked.

We welcome any new transportation initiatives for Northern New Jersey but we think alleviating the trans-hudson commuting issues should still be a top priority for NJ Transit. 

Bergen County B Line B-4/B-72

Bergen County B-Line B-4/B-72 Line between the Meadowlands, Hackensack, and Paramus.  The B-72 also shared a timetable with the B-3 for many years.  The B-4 has long been discontinued, but the B-72 is today's NJT 772 line.

Bergen County B Line B-7/B-17 (1981)

Here is the short-lived B-7/B-17 service between Ridgewood, Paramus, Hackensack and Closter.  This line was discontinued in the early 1980's due to budget cuts and low ridership.

Bergen County Route B-2 (1980)

Here is the Bergen County Route B-2 between Oakland and Hackensack from 1980.  The route is today's NJT Route 752.  The initial  timetable for this line from 1971 is posted here.

Cross County Line (1971)

This is the Cross Bergen County Line schedule from 1971 between Oakland and Hackensack.  The service operated on a weekday trial basis.  It eventually became part of the Bergen County B-Line bus network as the B-2.  It is today's NJT Route 752.

Bergen County B1 Line (1981)

Here is a Bergen County B-Line B1 schedule from 1981 which ran between Edgewater and Paramus.  The route is today's NJT 751/755 line.

Bus Rapid Transit for Bergen County

NJ Transit is conducting a study to create a bus rapid transit network throughout Bergen County.  They have information about the study, and ask for input from the community at the following website:  http://www.bergenbrt.com/

Seems like an interesting idea, but we'll see if it ever happens and whether it will be a successful service.