Rutgers Campus Buses

Rutgers Campus Buses
	LX bus at College Avenue Student Center
Locale	Rutgers University
Service area	New Brunswick/Piscataway, Newark, and Camden
Service type	University bus system
Routes	12 (New Brunswick); 4 (Newark); 1 (Camden)
Fleet	76 (67 buses & 9 cutaways)
Daily ridership	70,000 (daily); 6 million (annually)
Fuel type	Diesel; Gasoline (Ford cutaways)
Operator	First Transit
Chief executive	John Karakoglou
Assistant Manager	Domenick Rizzo
Website	Rutgers Campus Buses

Rutgers Campus Buses are a zero-fare bus service used by students at New Brunswick and Newark campuses of the Rutgers University. It is the second-largest bus service in New Jersey, after NJ Transit, and one of the largest in the country. Service is provided by First Transit all year round, including weekends and holidays. Shuttle service is also provided for students (such as the "Knight Mover" when the New Brunswick campus transit system is not in service).

History[]

From 2001 to 2011, Rutgers bus service was provided by Academy Bus Lines. Prior to that, Suburban Transit was the operator.^[1]

Rutgers began to install new bus shelters in the summer of 2010. The new shelters incorporate red roofs to cast a red tone on the sidewalk, showcasing university colors.

Director Jack Molenaar announced that the L route would be discontinued due to budget cuts, effective 28 August 2010. Molenaar called the bus a "relic" and said it was "slowest and most underutilized" of the bus routes.^[2] There was significant opposition to the move, especially from graduate students and Highland Park residents who had already made housing arrangements expecting the bus to be there. After 600 people signed an online petition calling for its reinstitution,^[3]^[4] a temporary LXc route was created for the 2010-11 school year, stopping at Cedar Lane every 30 minutes.^[5] A second bus was later added to shorten wait times to 15 minutes. In addition, the three weekend buses (A, EE, L) were reorganized into two all campus loop buses (Weekend 1 and Weekend 2).

After the contract with previous operator Academy Bus expired on June 30, 2011, First Transit took over New Brunswick campus shuttle service.^[6] The main reason cited for the switch is cost. First Transit will refurbish existing buses and supply new ones for a total of 50 buses featured automatic stop announcements, whereas now drivers may or may not announce stops.^[7]^[8]

Academy has filed a lawsuit against the University over the loss of the contract.^[9]^[10] Despite the loss of shuttle operations, the company continues to provide the chartered bus operations used for tours and football games.

First Transit expanded their bus service to the Newark Campus beginning September 1, 2014; to Camden Campus since September 1, 2019.^[11] The new Rutgers-logo fleet of buses utilize the NextBus system and real-time status is available via the official Rutgers app. In 2018, Rutgers replaced the NextBus system with TransLoc.^[12]

Alternative plans[]

Several times over the past decade, it has been suggested that the bus system be partially or fully replaced with bus rapid transit (BRT), monorail, or light rail.^[13]^[14] Closing College Avenue to non-bus motor vehicle traffic was also proposed, but indefinitely canceled in February 2010, due to excessive costs.^[15] Current plans are for incorporating the Rutgers bus system into the proposed New Brunswick Bus Rapid Transit, which would be centered on the New Brunswick Station near the intersection of Route 18 and Route 27.^[16]^[17]

Routes[]

New Brunswick Campus[]

There are 9 routes on weekdays, 2 routes on weekends, and 1 route on holidays.

Rutgers New Brunswick Bus System Map - Weekdays - Spring 2022

Weekday Routes[]

A - College Avenue / Busch (Clockwise on Busch)
B - Livingston / Busch (One bus designated as B/He stops at the Busch-Livingston Health Center)
C - Busch Commuter Loop
EE - College Avenue / Douglass–Cook Local via George Street
F - College Avenue / Douglass–Cook Express via Route 18
H - College Avenue / Busch (Counterclockwise on Busch)
LX - College Avenue / Livingston Express
REXB - Douglass / Busch (Rutgers Express to Busch)
REXL - Douglass / Livingston (Rutgers Express to Livingston)
The Knight Mover operates when weekday buses stop running. ^[18]

Weekend and Breaks[]

Weekend 1 - College Ave / Busch / Livingston / Douglass–Cook
Weekend 2 - College Ave / Douglass–Cook / Livingston / Busch

The weekend routes run from Thursday to Friday overnight and every weekend during the Fall and Spring semesters. During the Summer and Spring/Winter Breaks, this route becomes the primary weekday route, and uses the name of the specific break in the destination sign of the bus. For example, during the summer buses will display "Summer 1" or "Summer 2"; for winter break, buses will display "Winter Break 1" or "Winter Break 2", etc. The routes themselves, however, do not change; they are the same as the Weekend 1/Weekend 2 routes.

In Spring 2021, a variation of the weekend routes were introduced. They are essentially an express version of the regular weekend routes, stopping only at the stops served by the color routes on each campus.

In Fall 2021, a revised version of previous Letter Routes with redundant stops eliminated was introduced. Weekend Routes were also based on revised Letter Routes.

Special Break Service

All Campuses - College Ave / Busch / Livingston / Douglass–Cook (Same as Weekend 1)

All campus service runs on weekends during the Summer and over Spring/Winter Break. It also serves as the primary bus route during holidays (Thanksgiving, Holiday Recess, Memorial Day, Fourth of July).

Former Routes[]

The majority of these routes ran throughout the late 20th Century as alternative variants or service patterns of the current routes.^{[citation needed]}

AX - College Avenue Express / ARC Building (Busch). Ran for the 2000-01 school year as a test-run replacement for the A to expedite travel between Busch classes, and College Avenue for commuters. Reverted back to the A the following year.
CA - College Avenue / Stadium Lot West (Busch). Ran as a shuttle from the Rutgers Stadium parking lot during the 1997-98 school year to help alleviate commuter congestion on College Avenue. Replaced by rerouted A and H buses the next term.
D - College Avenue / Livingston via Highland Park. Operated as a local version of the former L route, which it was later replaced by circa. 1990.
E - College Avenue / Douglass–Cook Local via George Street. Former local variant of the EE which originally made less stops via Downtown. Eventually dissolved into the current EE by the mid-1990s.
G - Busch / Douglass-Cook via Livingston. Service ran until May 2005 when Route 18 reconstruction predicted to slow down service. Eventually reincarnated into the current REXB by the middle of September 2005.
GG - Livingston / Douglass-Cook via Highland Park. Service ran until May 2005 when Route 18 reconstruction predicted to slow down service. Eventually reincarnated into the current REXL by the middle of September 2005.
L - College Avenue / Livingston. Originally an express variant of the D, service replaced it by the mid-1990s with the introduction of the LX. Eliminated in 2010 due to low ridership.
LXc - College Avenue / Livingston via Cedar Lane. Temporary version of the LX for the 2010-11 school year after complaints by students and staff who settled into places within the Highland Park region prior to the late-onset elimination of the L. Did not return after Spring 2011.

Color Routes[]

Rutgers New Brunswick Color Routes (Fall 2020)

In Fall 2020, 6 color routes were temporarily introduced to help with social distancing on Rutgers buses due to COVID-19. They were modeled off of the regular intercampus routes, but featured less stops. These routes were implemented shortly before the start of the Fall 2020 semester. However, due to low ridership, these routes were scrapped in the beginning of October 2020 and weekend routes were used instead. These routes are:

Purple (PRL) - College Avenue / Busch
Blue (BLU) - Livingston / Busch (One bus designated as Blue-He (BLU/H) stops at the Busch-Livingston Health Center)
Scarlet (SCR) - College Avenue / Douglass via George Street
Orange (ORG) - College Avenue / Livingston
Green (GRN) - Douglass / Livingston
Yellow (YLW) - Douglass / Busch

In early 2021, these routes were planned to replace the letter routes starting in Fall 2021. However, this plan was scrapped in summer 2021, and Letter Routes were brought back for Fall 2021 with slight modifications.^[19]

Newark Campus[]

There are 4 routes on weekdays and 1 night service running seven nights a week.

Weekday Transit Lines[]

Campus Connect - Boyden Hall / NJIT / ICPH / Medical School / ECC / Washington Park / Broad St
Penn Station - Penn Station / Medical School / University Hospital / ICPH / Blumenthal Hall
Kearny - NJIT / Boyden Hall / Kearny (discontinued after February 26, 2021)^[20]
Penn Station Express - Penn Station / Medical School / University Hospital (7-10am and 3-7pm only)

Special Night Service[]

Penn Station Midnight Express - Penn Station / Boyden Hall

The Midnight Express operates seven days a week from midnight to 4am between Boyden Hall and Penn Station.

Shuttles[]

New Brunswick Campus[]

New BrunsQuick Shuttle 1
New BrunsQuick Shuttle 2
RBHS Shuttle

During the Fall & Spring Semesters, the New BrunsQuick shuttles 1 and 2 run on weekdays between College Ave, the New Brunswick Train Station, and select stops in New Brunswick. They run roughly the same route but in opposite directions. The RBHS Shuttle runs between the medical school on Busch campus and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. During Summer and Fall/Spring Breaks, only the New BrunsQuick Shuttle 1 is in operation. All of them still cancelled as of Fall 2021.

Newark Campus[]

Run run

The "Run run" route is an intracampus shuttle that runs seven days a week (except holidays), and performs a loop around the Newark campus. The bus stops at Boyden Hall, Golden Dome, CLJ (Rutgers Law), 15 Washington, Broad St. Station, and the Physical Plant. During the morning and evening there is an additional stop at Newark Penn Station. Discontinued since Fall 2020.

Camden Campus[]

Shuttle bus service

During the academic year, the Department of Parking and Transportation Services provides a shuttle bus that travels between the main parking lot (Lot 11) to Third Street in front of Campus Center. After 8 p.m., an additional bus runs from Fifth Street, under the law school bridge.

Active fleet[]

Fleet number(s)	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Powertrain	Campus	Notes
1493, 1495, 1496, 1500, 1504, 1510	2007	New Flyer	D40LF	Cummins ISL ZF EcoMat 2 6HP592C	New Brunswick	Ex-NCSU Wolfline, same unit numbers. Entered service in 2017. 1496, 1504 temporarily out of service.
201-205	2010	ElDorado National	Axess 40'	Cummins ISL Allison B400R5	New Brunswick	Ex-UAB Blazer Express 201-205. Exx-LSU Tiger Trails 1000, 1003, 1005, 1008, 1010. Transferred to Rutgers after First Transit lost the contract with UAB in May 2019. Entered service in 2019-2020.
1001,1002, 1004, 1006, 1007, 1011, 1012	2010	ElDorado National	Axess 40'	Cummins ISL Allison B400R5	New Brunswick	Ex-LSU Tiger Trails, same unit numbers. Entered service in 2016-2018. Some units were temporarily loaned to College of Staten Island. 1004, 1011 temporarily out of service.
4176-4213	2011	ElDorado National	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R5	New Brunswick	Entered service in July 2011. 4206 failed NJDOT inspection due to various safety hazards, retired in 2019. Used as a parts bus. 4177, 4184, 4185, 4186, 4209 currently out of service. 4212 failed NJDOT inspection on 3/16/2022. 4179 is loaned to Newark Campus since May 2021.
4051-4053	2014	ElDorado National	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R5	New Brunswick	Ex-College of Staten Island Shuttle Service, same unit numbers. 4051 entered service on 10/25/2021, 4052 entered service on 11/30/2021, and 4053 entered service on 8/28/2019. 4051 currently cannot be tracked.
4125-4126	2015	ElDorado National	E-Z Rider II BRT 30'	Cummins ISB6.7 Allision B300R5	New Brunswick	Ex-Princeton University Tiger Transit, same unit numbers. 4125 entered service on 9/14/2021. 4126 entered service on 9/15/2021.
4127-4133	2015	ElDorado National	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins ISL9 Allison B400R5	Newark	Entered service in Fall 2015.
5584, 5586, 5594	2019	Ford ElDorado	E-450	Ford Modular 6.8L V10 Gasoline Ford TorqShift 5R110W	Camden	Entered service on 2/12/2020. Replacement for RUDOT's 630, 631, 633 & First Transit's 3016 (previously numbered as 635).
8385, 8386, 8388, 8391, 8401, 8415	2019	Ford ElDorado	E-450	Ford Modular 6.8L V10 Gasoline Ford TorqShift 5R110W	Newark	Entered service on 6/28/2019. Replacement for RUDOT's College Town Shuttles: 616, 620-622, 625, 632. 8386, 8388 loaned to New Brunswick Campus; 8415 loaned to Camden Campus

^[21]^[22]

Future fleet[]

As of October 2021, an order of ENC Axess BRT has been placed to replace the current ElDorado and New Flyer buses. These buses will feature all aisle-facing seating and 8 sets of dual USB power ports on seatings & rear deck. Additionally, a 45ft ENC Axess BRT will be produced as demo and tested at Rutgers, expected to arrive in August 2023. All buses in this order are owned by Rutgers University and operated by First Transit.

Fleet number(s)	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Powertrain	Campus	Notes
TBD (10 buses)	2022	ENC	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins L9 280HP Allison B400R5	New Brunswick	Expected to arrive by September 2022.
TBD (5 buses)	2023	ENC	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins L9 280HP Allison B400R5	New Brunswick
TBD (1 bus)	2023	ENC	Axess BRT 45'	TBD	New Brunswick	The first 45ft Axess BRT demo from ENC.
TBD (5 buses)	2024	ENC	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins L9 280HP Allison B400R5	New Brunswick
TBD (5 buses)	2025	ENC	Axess BRT 40'	Cummins L9 280HP Allison B400R5	New Brunswick