Bus Rapid Transit: How Hudson County hopes to make bus commuting faster

Here off JFK Boulevard in Jersey City, the bus is how folks get around. More than 30,000 daily riders in this area. All those buses and stops can really cause traffic on an already busy roadway. Hudson County is looking into a better solution called Bus Rapid Transit. The best way to describe BRT is a bus system that looks more like a light rail. It would be quicker. There'd be less stops. It would be easier to get on and off the bus. It's all about moving people quicker. Doing so involves rethinking JFK Boulevard, a 14-mile Hudson County heartbeat. Renderings shared by the county show dedicated bus lanes and traffic signals. Also, longer buses with more doors. Instead of everyone entering, exiting, and paying all at the same door, riders could prepay like they do on light rail. The stops themselves could also change. We will be doing a review of the amount of bus stops we have, and are they in the right spots? The county says optimized stops, plus those other changes, could nearly double the bus speed. A final feasibility study is due in the spring. Riders like Prasath say they'd appreciate a more consistent schedule. The frequency reduces a lot. I have to wait for at least 15 or 20 minutes to take a bus. If it's within peak hours, it's fine. New Jersey Transit told News 12 it looks forward to participating in further planning, including discussions on dedicated bus lanes and traffic signal prioritization. The agency said the proposed improvements could, quote, greatly enhance reliability and customer experience. Less funding out there for hard rail, and we need to utilize the resources that we have. And that's the great thing about BRT. You know, it is a low-cost way to create a transit system. In Jersey City, Tom Krasnowski, News 12, New Jersey. And bus riders can share their thoughts with the county in an online survey. We have that linked at news12.com.