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NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT

CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES REAL-TIME SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SOUTH JERSEY BUS CUSTOMERS

NJ TRANSIT expands MyBus Now pilot program to serve South Jersey and Philadelphia bus customers

April 17, 2013
NJT-13-031

NEWARK, NJ — American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Chairperson and NJ TRANSIT Board Member Flora M. Castillo today joined NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein at the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden to announce the expansion of MyBus Now, the agency’s first real-time service information system for bus customers, to serve 46 South Jersey and Philadelphia-area bus routes. 

 

“As part of our focus on improving the overall travel experience for customers, we continue to look for ways to use technology to make it even easier for customers to use our system,” said Ms. Castillo, who is also Chair of the corporation’s Customer Service Committee.  “MyBus Now will literally place real-time service information in the palms of our customers’ hands.”

 

MyBus Now, which first launched in fall 2012 as a pilot program serving Trenton-area bus customers, uses “smart bus” technology to provide customers with access to real-time bus arrival estimates to a specific bus stop within a 30-minute window.  Customers can access the information in three ways:  from a desktop computer through njtransit.com, from a web-enabled smartphone through the mobile version of njtransit.com, and via SMS-text messaging directly to their cell phones.

 

“The expansion of the MyBus Now pilot program into South Jersey marks another important step toward systemwide implementation of this vital customer information tool,” said Mr. Weinstein.  “With access to real-time bus location and arrival information at their fingertips, bus customers will be able to make informed decisions about their travel, even while on the go.”

 

Starting today, customers of bus routes that operate out of NJ TRANSIT’s Egg Harbor, Washington Township and Newton Avenue garages, as well as out of Salem County, will be able to use MyBus Now to access real-time service information.  The 46 bus routes, which serve communities throughout South Jersey, as well as Philadelphia, include:

 

  • No. 313 Cape May - Wildwood - Philadelphia
  • No. 315 Cape May - Wildwood - Philadelphia
  • No. 316 Cape May - Wildwood - Philadelphia Express
  • No. 317 Asbury Park - Fort Dix - Philadelphia
  • No. 318 Six Flags Great Adventure - Philadelphia
  • No. 319 New York - Atlantic City - Cape May
  • No. 400 Sicklerville - Philadelphia
  • No. 401 Salem - Philadelphia
  • No. 402 Pennsville - Philadelphia
  • No. 403 Camden - Lindenwold PATCO - Turnersville
  • No. 404 Cherry Hill Mall - Pennsauken - Philadelphia
  • No. 405 Camden - Merchantville - Cherry Hill Mall
  • No. 406 Berlin - Marlton - Philadelphia
  • No. 407 Camden - Merchantville - Moorestown Mall
  • No. 408 Millville - Philadelphia
  • No. 409 Trenton - Willingboro - Philadelphia
  • No. 410 Bridgeton - Philadelphia
  • No. 412 Sewell - Glassboro - Philadelphia
  • No. 413 Camden - Mount Holly - Burlington
  • No. 414 Philadelphia - Moorestown
  • No. 417 Mt. Holly - Willingboro - Philadelphia
  • No. 418 Trenton Express
  • No. 419 Camden - Rt. 73/Pennsauken Station - Burlington
  • No. 450 Cherry Hill Mall - Audubon -Camden
  • No. 451 Camden - Voorhees Town Center
  • No. 452 Camden - 36th St. Station
  • No. 453 Ferry Avenue PATCO - Camden
  • No. 455 Cherry Hill Mall - Woodbury - Paulsboro
  • No. 457 Moorestown Mall - Camden
  • No. 459 Voorhees Town Center - Camden County College - Avandale P/R
  • No. 460 Camden Seasonal Service
  • No. 463 Woodbury - Avandale Park/Ride
  • No. 468 Penns Grove-Salem-Woodstown
  • No. 501 Atlantic City - Brigantine Beach
  • No. 502 Atlantic City - Hamilton Mall - Atlantic/Cape C. C.
  • No. 504 Bungalow Park - Chelsea Heights - Ventnor Plaza
  • No. 505 Atlantic City - Margate - Longport
  • No. 507 Atlantic City - Ocean City
  • No. 508 Atlantic City - Stockton College - Hamilton Mall
  • No. 509 Atlantic City - Somers Point - Ocean City via New Road
  • No. 510 Cape May - Wildwood Shuttle
  • No. 551 Philadelphia - Atlantic City
  • No. 552 Cape May - Atlantic City
  • No. 553 Upper Deerfield - Atlantic City
  • No. 554 Lindenwold - PATCO - Atlantic City
  • No. 559 Lakewood - Atlantic City

 

NJ TRANSIT’s Hamilton Garage was selected for the first phase of the pilot program because the relatively small size of its operations, and the fact that none of its bus routes intersect with other garages, provide an ideal testing environment.  The success of the initial phase and the expansion of the pilot into South Jersey continues NJ TRANSIT’s path toward a full systemwide rollout of MyBus Now later this year.   

 

Currently, the statewide agency is taking delivery of 1,145 new buses that are already equipped with smart bus technology provided by Clever Devices LTD.  In addition, NJ TRANSIT has procured additional smart bus platforms to retrofit the remaining buses in the agency’s fleet, including those on routes operated by private carriers under contract to NJ TRANSIT.

 

The Clever Devices platform offers many operational and customer benefits, including automatic bus stop announcements, vehicle condition monitoring, passenger counting and real-time location reporting.  The data provided through this technology will allow for greater efficiency in terms of scheduling, planning and maintenance of the NJ TRANSIT bus network.

 

MyBus Now builds on NJ TRANSIT’s “MyBus” system, which launched in October 2010.  Based on a system of bus stop ID numbers—unique five-digit numbers NJ TRANSIT has assigned to each of its bus stops—MyBus enables customers who have cell phones with SMS (text messaging) capabilities to receive bus schedule information for a specific stop directly to their cell phones.  Customers can obtain their bus stop ID online at njtransit.com, or from MyBus signs posted at bus stops statewide.

 

How to Use MyBus Now

 

  • From a desktop computer:  Visit mybusnow.njtransit.com.  Select either “bus times” or “bus map.”
    • Bus Times:  Enter your five-digit bus stop ID or select your bus route, direction of travel and bus stop from the drop-down menus.
    • Bus Map:  Click “Routes” and select up to 10 routes, or click “Find Stop” and follow the directions in the dialog box to view the real-time location of buses on a Google map.  Buses are represented by bus icons that display an arrow to indicate the direction of travel.  Hover over the bus icon to display the estimated arrival times for the next four bus stops.  Click the bus icon for additional options, including links to “route schedule” (PDF of the bus timetable) and “route progress” (a timeline of the bus trip by stop).

  • From a web-enabled smartphone:  Visit njtransit.com and select MyBus Now to view a streamlined version of the web page.  Select your bus route from the list or enter your five-digit bus stop ID.

 

  • From a cell phone with SMS-text messaging:  Text your five-digit bus stop ID to MyBus (69287).  Instead of returning the next scheduled trips, MyBus Now will provide real-time information for routes in the pilot program.  For all other routes, MyBus will continue to provide information for scheduled trips. 

Systemwide Improvement to “My Bus”

 

As a reminder, MyBus customers can now receive schedule information for a specific route by texting MyBus (69287), followed by a space and the route number.  For example, to find schedule information for the No. 73 specifically for the bus stop located at Newark Penn Station (bus stop ID number 18835), text MyBus (69287) the following text:  18835 73.  The system will return only scheduled trips on the No. 73 route, even though the bus stop is served by other bus routes. 

 

About NJ TRANSIT

 

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 261 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 164 rail stations, 61 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.