One of NJ Transits worst-performing lines for covering costs will be discontinued and another will be cut back. But others keep rolling.
Some of the biggest losers among NJ Transit bus and rail lines don't even cover 5 percent of the cost to run them from fares.
And the agency is poised to eliminate some of them when service adjustments take effect later this month.
In the world of public transportation, the mission for agencies is to move people, since no mass transit system on the planet turns a profit. But even transit agencies know when it is time to stop the bleeding.
On Sept. 30, NJ Transit will discontinue three bus routes, the 655 between Princeton and Plainsboro, and two seasonal routes, the 307 between Freehold and Great Adventure, and the 318 between Philadelphia and Great Adventure.
Other routes, such as the 872 between Morristown and the Livingston Mall, the 419 between Camden and Pennsauken, and the 463 between Woodbury and Avandale will lose stops or late night service. The action is part of a 9 percent fare increase taking effect on Oct. 1.
The 655 route was the fourth worst performer of NJ Transit's bus routes in 2014, with fares covering 4.4 percent of the operating costs in 2014. A drop in ridership between 2013 and 2014 put it on the chopping block. The 419 gained riders, but lost money in 2014.
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Ticked off about mass transit? Wondering about road construction? E-mail your questions to NJ.com's transportation expert Larry Higgs. He'll answer your questions on Tuesdays and Thursdays on NJ.com. You can also Tweet @CommutingLarry.Routes are analyzed four times a year, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman. Overall, NJ Transit fares cover 48 percent of operating costs.
"The agency makes necessary adjustments to service, such as frequency of service, the span of service within the service day and route modifications long before considering a discontinuation of service," Snyder said.
But there are some worse performers than the routes on the chopping block.
Route 95, between Newark and Watchung only covered 3.3 percent of the costs to operate the line in 2014. The route was started in February 2014 as a weekday-only line which runs along the Route 22 corridor between a park and ride in watching and Newark Penn Station.
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The line was sponsored by the state Department of Transportation in conjunction with closing the eastbound lanes of the Pulaski Skyway to rehabilitate the 83-year-old network of bridges. The morning and evening rush hour-only bus was intended to provide express service for commuters who might use the Skyway.
But seating was limited from the beginning with only 330 seats available during the morning and evening rush. Ridership was a dismal 6,917 riders last year.
Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.