New Jersey Transit has again delayed delivery of rail station access jitney vehicles to 16 municipalities, according to last Friday's Bergen Record. The paper said the vehicles were initially supposed to arrive this spring, but were first delayed until summer and won't be available until October or November, according to NJ Transit. Transit blamed the problem on manufacturing delays. 

Officials in Hackensack, who are expecting two new jitney buses, told the Record they were disappointed the vehicles wouldn't be available to ease downtown parking crunches this summer.

Since Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Donald Payne secured federal funding for local transit services in 1998, towns have anticipated developing new local and station-access transit services (MTR #270). Early last year, New Jersey Transit set aside $1 million in federal air quality/transportation funds to help the cities and towns operate the services, but without the vehicles, the opportunity to spend funds is still on hold. Still, the towns want Transit to come up with a more sustainable, long-term operating assistance plan for the shuttle services (MTR #303). So far, Transit has balked at doing so - the matter was debated at length earlier this year at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, but was not resolved.

NJ Transit will undoubtedly develop a big wish list it will expect the state's congressional delegation to carry in Washington in 2003, when the federal government will reauthorize its transportation assistance programs. Transit will probably get a better response then if it can get relatively simple, widely supported programs like the "Community Shuttle Program" out the door in the meantime.

A Shuttle for Every Station?  NJ Buys Jitneys, But Operating Costs A Barrier - May 22, 2000

NJTransit Stingy with Local Transit - February 5, 2001

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