Verona commuters to Manhattan may not be left in the lurch after all. Both New Jersey Transit and a private transit company called Boxcar are poised to provide bus service after DeCamp Bus Service ceases commuter operations on Friday, April 7. Decamp, which had provided service to New York City through Verona for decades, announced on March 20 that it is getting out of the commuter business.
NJ Transit announced today that it will adding “emergency” service on Bloomfield Avenue through Verona as of Monday, April 10. The new NJ Transit bus will operate during peak weekday hours only, so if you need to get into NYC at other times on mass transit, you could still be out of luck. Dubbed the 195D, it will pick up on Bloomfield Avenue beginning in Caldwell, then turn on Pompton before taking Ridge Road out to Route 3. More details on the NJ Transit option are to be posted here on April 4. NJ Transit currently operates bus service to Newark through Verona.
Boxcar, which is based in Chatham, has also announced service on the former #33 route. It will also operate during peak morning and evening commuting hours during the week. Riders will reserve a seat through the Boxcar app, and, depending on their Manhattan destination, they may not need to transfer to a New York City bus or subway to get to their office. The Boxcar bus will cost $13.49 one way, but $8.99 for members. Boxcar is also planning a lower introductory rate for the first week of service. More details on Boxcar’s offering here.
For other options, Verona commuters will need a car or a ride-share first. NJ Transit also operates Park & Ride lots at Willowbrook Mall and on Allwood Road in Clifton. There is also a Park & Ride lot in North Bergen, and all NJ Transit buses arrive and depart from Port Authority. There is NJ Transit train service to Manhattan’s Penn Station from Clove Road on the Montclair State University campus, and at several points in Upper Montclair, Montclair and Glen Ridge. Commuters can also access the PATH trains to midtown and lower Manhattan in Harrison.
