The new shuttle bus service, the Lakewood Shuttle (or the “L”), will be starting regular service next Tuesday March 17th, township officials told TLS.
The service will pick up the old Job Link route, which had recently been suspended, as well as the new loop route from Westgate to the downtown area.
“Through the offices of Congressman Chris Smith and the initiative of senior staff at Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG), Lakewood Township received a federal grant of one million dollars to purchase nine buses to be used for public transportation,” said Steven Reinman, the director of economic development. “It took a long time for the shuttle proposal to actually come to fruition.”
The process began when the township designed a RFP and held a bidder’s conference. The contract was awarded to Jay’s Bus Service, who then created a separate subsidiary called Lakewood Community Shuttle Inc., whose express purpose is to operate a public shuttle service with buses designed for 24 passengers and a place for a wheelchair.
The shuttle will start with two routes (See routes here and here). One is a loop from Central Avenue (Route 528) to the downtown area; the other will cover the renewed Job Link bus route that ran for six years serving the Lakewood Industrial Park.
Reinman said, “The hope is that this service will become very successful and do so quickly. Then the Township will request more buses via grants in order to add additional routes or the operator may decide to directly invest in more buses. We have, in the original plan, identified as many as nine routes throughout the town.”
On Monday, a ceremonial first ride will be held for officials and dignitaries.
People will be able to ride at no charge for the first three months. After that, a ride will cost $1.00.
[TLS]
mechutza?
From the schedule, it looks like the bus will be going in one direction only as a loop. That means that my 35 minute walk to Yeshiva will become a 40 minute bus ride! Buses should leave from Westgate going in both directions (one down 14th Street and one down Central Avenue).
Does any bus go down the 9? Can’t figure it out.
Why is there no bus service in Saturday?
need moree buses to serve the whole lakewood township like all the other small cities have I think that just having this one bus follow the old job link route is a bad idea have a few buses run thorughout the whole town that would be more useful and prfitable why do you think job link is suspended ?
Why isn’t there any service on Saturdays and only until sundown on Fridays if it is suppose to service ‘everyone’ in Lakewood? That doesn’t make any sense.
I do oppose the service being disabled on Friday after sundown hours. However, as far as Saturdays are concerned, would anyone speaking against the ‘Saturday off’ rule would REALLY ride the bus on Saturday? It practically does not make sense to offer service if it wouldn’t raise ‘enough’ money.
so confusing is there a bus from west gate to Clifton like if I need a gala and some good liver from yussis can I send my kid on the bus ?? if not why not ?
This morning, 4/29/2016, there was no bus on Airport Road that said Lakewood Shuttle. The only large bus was called “Job Link”. Nobody knows why it does not say Lakewood Shuttle. If anyone knows, please e-mail me. It is impossible to talk to them by phone. They have to call you back.