Hoboken Mayor Bhalla and NJ Transit unveil key bus line improvements

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Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, joined New Jersey Transit officials to unveil a series of improvements to bus service in his township Sept. 8, 2020, to increase capacity, create efficiencies, enhance convenience and reduce wait times.

The 126 bus line in Hoboken, already one of the busiest NJ TRANSIT lines in the state, will now have additional stops and new buses.

“Today, we celebrate a range of new improvements to NJ TRANSIT’s 126 bus route – an indispensable route for Hoboken residents traveling to New York City and one of the most heavily-used routes in our entire system,” NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett is quoted saying in the press release. “These improvements include the introduction of our new articulated buses on this route earlier this year, which adds much needed capacity and features many new customer amenities.  We were pleased to partner with Mayor Bhalla and the City of Hoboken to further improve the customer experience by making adjustments to bus stops along the route, which are expected to reduce wait times and promote distancing onboard to the greatest extent possible.”

“Hoboken is committed to working with our partners in government to improve our mass transit infrastructure, and we are thrilled to modernize our bus stops in partnership with NJ TRANSIT,” said Mayor Bhalla. “Along with the new, articulated buses, Hoboken residents will have improved access and shorter wait times during rush hour and have more reliable transit into New York City.”

Also joining New Jersey Transit and Mayor Bhalla were Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro, Councilman Phil Cohen, and Bike Hoboken President Chris Adair, who all spoke about the importance of mass transit improvements along the 126 bus line.

The improvement plan includes the following:

• Moving the stop at 6^th and Clinton streets one block south to 5^th Street. The new stop location is longer than the previous one at 6^th, allowing more room for larger articulated buses, and boasts a wider sidewalk, allowing for a large shelter and other amenities.
• Adding a stop on Clinton Street between 7^th and 8^th. With this additional stop, there will now be a stop every other block between Observer Highway and 11th Street.
• Formalizing the “courtesy stop” at Willow Avenue and 2^nd Street. Previously an unsigned and unscheduled stop, the new stop will serve an area that had an unusually long distance between stops.
• Updated parking restrictions prohibiting parking during the 4 to 7 p.m. rush hour at bus stops. Until now, buses have often been unable to pull to the curb due to the presence of parked vehicles.

Additionally, the new articulated buses being deployed on the route will increase onboard customer capacity by 65-percent compared to an average commuter bus, the press release noted.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, these larger buses allow for better distancing as a precaution against the spread of the virus, it added.
NJ TRANSIT is in the process of replacing all of the current 85 articulated buses in the fleet with the new buses while adding 25 additional articulated buses to expand the fleet to 110, the press release said.