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April 17, 2020                                                                                                                                                                                         Contact: Press Office

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NJ TRANSIT ADDS TO DAILY BUS SCHEDULES

Special “Essential Service” Schedule Begins Monday, April 20 to Add Capacity and Improve Social Distancing for Essential Travel; Face Coverings Required For Customers And Staff

NEWARK, NJ — Beginning Monday, April 20, NJ TRANSIT will add extra trips to certain bus routes, creating a modified service level to support essential travel and adding capacity to further help social distancing on board buses to comply with Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 125. Travel should be limited to essential purposes only. Customers may view bus schedules on njtransit.com.

Executive Order 125 became effective earlier this week and requires NJ TRANSIT to limit occupancy by passengers at 50 percent of the stated maximum vehicle capacity on all buses, trains and light rail vehicles, in addition to the requirement for customers and personnel onboard vehicles to wear a face covering.

The COVID-19 response efforts by NJTRANSIT are constantly evolving and being enhanced to remain consistent with federal and state health recommendations to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers still using the system for essential travel. The NJ TRANSIT website and app Trip Planners will reflect the additional bus service levels by early next week. Detailed information and virtual timetables will also be available next week. Customers are encouraged to visit njtransit.com daily for guidance around bus arrivals.

All staff and customers on NJ TRANSIT vehicles are required to wear face coverings, an additional measure the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says can slow the spread.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 response, customers are strongly encouraged to sign up for My Transit alerts and to check the njtransit.com for the latest daily updates. 

As an added precautionary measure to protect bus operators and customers, NJ TRANSIT has implemented rear-door boarding on all bus routes where rear-boarding is available. Seats near the bus operator have been taken out of service to allow for proper social distancing for the operator.  Customers are encouraged to use the NJ TRANSIT mobile ticketing app or purchase paper tickets prior to boarding to limit cash transactions with the bus operator. Travel should be limited to essential personnel only.

NJ TRANSIT’s RESPONSE TO COVID-19

NJ TRANSIT continues enhanced cleaning efforts to include disinfecting vehicles every 24 hours. Hard surface cleaning and disinfecting typically includes handholds, arm rests, seating areas and restrooms.

Our enhanced cleaning regimen in stations includes additional disinfecting of frequent customer touchpoints such as ticket vending machines, handrails, door handles. In major stations and terminals, this occurs once every shift.

The cleaning agents used in this effort are deemed effective for these purposes and contain anti-viral components such as bleach/water mixes and other disinfectant sprays. Areas regularly cleaned include doors, door knobs, windows, benches, partitions, trash cans, elevators, escalators, handrails, ledges, all restrooms and floor surfaces and all floor mats. 

NJ TRANSIT has a dedicated web page offering a centralized location to highlight the many initiatives the agency has undertaken to protect customers and employees against COVID-19. The web page, njtransit.com/COVID19, is available on both desktop and through the mobile app.

In addition to outlining the steps the agency has taken, the website also includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. Posters reminding customers of best-practices to prevent the spread of germs have been installed on NJ TRANSIT vehicles throughout the system. 

NJ TRANSIT is closely engaged with the New Jersey Department of Health and other state and federal resources to carefully monitor, and if need be, respond to emergent health concerns that have the ability to impact customers and employees.

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) offer the following preventative steps for the coronavirus:

• Stay home if you are sick
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with those who are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash, then wash hands 

For more information, please visit the following websites: New Jersey Department of Health: https://www.nj.gov/health/; the CDC: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00427.asp.

Travel Advice:

• Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. 
• Customers are encouraged to download or update the NJ TRANSIT mobile app to set up and receive customized service alert information via push notifications.  Visit the You Tube video for easy instructions on setting up custom push notifications.
• Stay connected to NJ TRANSIT social media during your commute. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information:

• Twitter: @NJTRANSIT
• @NJTRANSIT_NEC
• @NJTRANSIT_NJCL
• @NJTRANSIT_ME
• @NJTRANSIT_MOBO
• @NJTRANSIT_MBPJ
• @NJTRANSIT_PVL
• @NJTRANSIT_RVL
• @NJTRANSIT_ACRL
• @NJTRANSIT_HBLR
• @NJTRANSIT_NLR
• @NJTRANSIT_RL
• @NJTRANSIT_NBUS (North Jersey Bus)
• @NJTRANSIT_SBUS (South Jersey Bus)
• Facebook:  facebook.com/NJTRANSIT
• YouTube Channel:  TheNewJerseyTransit

• Sign up for the My Transit alert system on njtransit.com, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone via email or text.
• Allow extra time getting to and from your destination. 
• Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. 

This document and others are available for translation on njtransit.com. 

ENGAGE. INFORM. IMPROVE.