Rutgers Campus Buses are a zero-farebus service used by students at Rutgers University campuses. It is the second-largest bus service in New Jersey after NJ Transit, and one of the largest university bus systems in the United States. Service is provided by Transdev year-round, including weekends and holidays. Late night shuttle service for students is provided by Rutgers Department of Transportation Services (known as the "Knight Mover") when the New Brunswick campus transit system is not in service.[1] Football and other event shuttles are operated by Academy Bus Lines.
History
From July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2011, Rutgers New Brunswick Campus bus service was provided by Academy Bus Lines. Prior to that, Suburban Transit was the operator.[2]
Rutgers began to install new bus shelters in the summer of 2010. The new shelters incorporate red roofs to cast a red tone on the sidewalk, showcasing university colors.
Director Jack Molenaar announced that the L route would be discontinued due to budget cuts, effective 28 August 2010. Molenaar called the bus a "relic" and said it was "slowest and most underutilized" of the bus routes.[3] There was significant opposition to the move, especially from graduate students and Highland Park residents who had already made housing arrangements expecting the bus to be there. After 600 people signed an online petition calling for its reinstitution,[4][5] a temporary LXc route was created for the 2010-11 school year, stopping at Cedar Lane every 30 minutes.[6] A second bus was later added to shorten wait times to 15 minutes. In addition, the three weekend buses (A, EE, L) were reorganized into two all campus loop buses (Weekend 1 and Weekend 2).
On October 21, 2010, First Transit was awarded a 5-year contract with an option to extend up to 15 years for the operation of New Brunswick Campus shuttle system.[7] The main reason cited for the switch is cost. First Transit will refurbish existing buses and supply new ones for a total of 50 buses featured automatic stop announcements, whereas now drivers may or may not announce stops.[8][9]
On December 10, 2010, Academy filed a lawsuit against the University over the loss of the contract.[10][11] Despite the loss of shuttle operations, the company continues to provide the chartered bus operations used for tours and football games.
First Transit expanded their bus service to the Newark Campus beginning September 1, 2014; to Camden Campus since September 1, 2019.[12] The new Rutgers-logo fleet of buses utilize the NextBus system and real-time status is available via the official Rutgers app. In 2018, Rutgers replaced the NextBus system with TransLoc.[13] After Transdev completed the acquisition of First Transit on March 7, 2023, all current First Transit contracts were transferred to Transdev.[14] Starting August 2, 2023, Rutgers replaced TransLoc with Passio Go! as the new tracker for Rutgers buses.[13]
Alternative plans
Several times over the past decade, it has been suggested that the bus system be partially or fully replaced with bus rapid transit (BRT), monorail, or light rail.[15][16] Closing College Avenue to non-bus motor vehicle traffic was also proposed, but indefinitely canceled in February 2010, due to excessive costs.[17] Current plans are for incorporating the Rutgers bus system into the proposed New Brunswick Bus Rapid Transit, which would be centered on the New Brunswick Station near the intersection of Route 18 and Route 27.[18][19]
Routes
New Brunswick Campus
Rutgers New Brunswick Bus System Map - Weekdays - Fall 2022
There are currently 10 routes on weekdays, 2 routes on weekends and winter/spring/summer breaks, and 1 route on holidays for New Brunswick campus.
Weekday routes
As of Spring 2023.
Name
Route
Stops
Hours of Operation
A
College Avenue/Busch
College Avenue Student Center → The Yard → Student Activities Center → Stadium West Lot → Hill Center (North) → Science Buildings → Busch Student Center → Werblin Recreation Center [20]
7:00AM–9:20PM (Mon-Fri)
B
Livingston/Busch
Livingston Student Center → Quads → Hill Center (North) → Science Buildings → Busch Student Center → Livingston Plaza [21]
7:00AM–10:40PM (Mon-Fri)
B-He
Livingston/Busch
Livingston Student Center → Quads → Busch-Livingston Health Center → Busch Student Center → Allison Road Classroom Building → Hill Center (South) → Livingston Plaza [22]
6:00AM–2:25AM (Mon-Fri)
C
Busch Commuter Loop
Stadium West Lot → Hill Center (North) → Allison Road Classroom Building → Hill Center (South) [23]
7:30AM–10:00PM (Mon-Thurs)
7:30AM–7:30PM (Fri)
EE
College Avenue/Douglass-Cook via George Street
College Avenue Student Center → The Yard → SoCam Apartments (SB) → Red Oak Lane → Lipman Hall → Biel Road → Henderson Apartments → Gibbons → College Hall → SoCam Apartments (NB) → Student Activities Center [24]
6:00AM–2:54AM (Mon-Wed)
6:00AM–3:41AM (Thurs-Fri)
F
College Avenue/Douglass Express
via Route 18
Red Oak Lane → Lipman Hall → College Hall → Student Activities Center → The Yard [25]
7:00AM–9:24PM (Mon-Fri)
H
College Avenue/Busch
College Avenue Student Center → The Yard → Student Activities Center → Werblin Recreation Center → Busch Student Center → Allison Road Classroom Building → Hill Center (South) → Stadium West Lot [26]
6:00AM–3:16AM (Mon-Wed)
6:00AM–4:00AM (Thurs-Fri)
LX
College Avenue/Livingston Express
College Avenue Student Center → The Yard → Student Activities Center → Livingston Plaza → Livingston Student Center → Quads [27]
6:00AM–2:46AM (Mon-Wed)
6:00AM–3:46AM (Thurs-Fri)
REXB
Douglass/Busch
Red Oak Lane → Lipman Hall → College Hall → Hill Center (North) → Allison Road Classroom Building → Hill Center (South) [28]
7:00AM–11:18PM (Mon-Fri)
REXL
Douglass/Livingston
Red Oak Lane → Lipman Hall → College Hall → Livingston Plaza → Livingston Student Center [29]
7:00AM–11:22PM (Mon-Fri)
Knight Mover operated by RUDOTS
The Knight Mover operates when weekday buses stop running; it runs Monday through Thursday from 3:00AM to 6:00AM.[1]
Weekends and Breaks
In spring 2021, a variation of the weekend routes were introduced. They are essentially an express version of the regular weekend routes, stopping only at the stops served by the color routes on each campus. In fall 2021, a revised version of previous Letter Routes with redundant stops eliminated was introduced. Weekend Routes were also based on revised Letter Routes.
Name
Route
Hours of Operation
Notes
Weekend 1
College Ave → Busch → Livingston → Douglass-Cook
4:00AM–6:00AM (FRI)
4:00AM (SAT)-3:00AM (MON)
Known as Summer 1 during summer break, Winter Break 1 during winter break, and Spring Break 1 during spring break.
Weekend 2
College Ave → Douglass-Cook → Livingston → Busch
4:00AM–6:00AM (FRI)
4:00AM (SAT)-3:00AM (MON)
Known as Summer 2 during summer break, Winter Break 2 during winter break, and Spring Break 2 during spring break.
All Campuses
College Ave → Busch → Livingston → Douglass-Cook
10:00AM–7:00PM
Identical to the Weekend 1 route, operates on weekends during breaks and during holidays (Thanksgiving, Holiday Recess, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, and Fourth of July).
Special event shuttles
Buses for the following routes are not trackable.
Name
Route
Notes
Campus Tour
Visitor Center → Werblin Recreation Center → Livingston Student Center → College Avenue Student Center → Biel Road → Gibbons
Busch Student Center → Lot 48 Far → Student Activities Center SB → Zimmerli Art Museum SB → SoCam Apt SB → Douglass Student Center → George Street Northbound at Liberty Street → Zimmerli Art Museum NB → Student Activities Center NB → Lot 48 Near
In fall 2020, 6 Color Routes were introduced to help with social distancing on Rutgers buses due to COVID-19. They were based on regular intercampus routes, but featured less stops to reduce students traveling time on bus. These routes were implemented on August 26, 2020. However, due to low ridership, these routes were discontinued after October 2, 2020 and weekend routes were used until the end of Spring 2021 semester. In early 2021, Color Routes were planned to continue in fall 2021. However, this plan was scrapped in summer 2021, and Letter Routes were brought back for Fall 2021 with slight modifications.[30]
Rutgers New Brunswick Color Routes (Fall 2020)
Name
Route
Notes
Purple (PRL)
College Avenue/Busch
Blue (BLU)
Livingston/Busch
One bus designated as Blue-He (BLU/H) stops at the Busch-Livingston Health Center.
Scarlet (SCR)
College Avenue/Douglass via George Street
Orange (ORG)
College Avenue/Livingston
Green (GRN)
Douglass/Livingston
Yellow (YLW)
Douglass/Busch
Shuttles
Name
Route
Hours of Operation
Notes
Busch Library Shuttle
Library of Science & Medicine to residence halls and parking lots on Busch Campus
7:30PM-2:00AM, 7 nights per week
Departs every 30 min, operates during class and exam periods.
Operated by Rutgers Department of Transportation.
Discontinued after March 11, 2020.
Douglass Library Shuttle
Douglass Library to residence halls on Cook/Douglass Campus
7:30PM-2:00AM, 7 nights per week
Departs every 30 min, operates during class and exam periods.
Operated by Rutgers Department of Transportation.
Discontinued after March 11, 2020.
New BrunsQuick 1 Shuttle
College Ave/New Brunswick Train Station via select stops in New Brunswick
6:00AM–11:00PM, weekdays only
Operated on weekdays during the academic year and during summer.
Operated by First Transit.
Discontinued after April 24, 2020.
New BrunsQuick 2 Shuttle
College Ave/New Brunswick Train Station via select stops in New Brunswick
6:30AM–10:00PM, weekdays only
Operated on weekdays during the academic year only.
Operated by First Transit.
Runs roughly the same route as New BrunsQuick Shuttle 1, but in the opposite direction.
Discontinued after March 11, 2020.
RBHS
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/ Clinical Academic Building
5:00AM–11:00PM, weekdays only
Operated on weekdays during the academic year and during summer.
Operated by First Transit.
Discontinued after March 11, 2020.
Routes Operated Under Previous Contractors
The majority of the below routes ran throughout the late 20th Century as alternative variants or service patterns of the current routes.
Name
Route
Notes
AX
College Avenue Express/ARC Building (Busch)
Ran for the 2000-01 school year as a test-run replacement for the A to expedite travel between Busch classes, and College Avenue for commuters.
Reverted back to the A the following year.
CA
College Avenue/Stadium Lot West (Busch)
Ran as a shuttle from the Rutgers Stadium parking lot during the 1997-98 school year to help alleviate commuter congestion on College Avenue.
Replaced by rerouted A and H buses the next term.
D
College Avenue/Livingston via Highland Park
Operated as a local version of the former L route, which it was later replaced by circa 1990.
E
College Avenue / Douglass–Cook via George Street
Former local variant of the EE which originally made less stops via Downtown.
Eventually dissolved into the current EE by the mid-1990s.
G
Busch/Douglass-Cook via Livingston
Service ran until May 2005 when Route 18 reconstruction predicted to slow down service.
Eventually reincarnated into the current REXB by the middle of September 2005.
GG
Livingston/Douglass-Cook via Highland Park
Service ran until May 2005 when Route 18 reconstruction predicted to slow down service.
Eventually reincarnated into the current REXL by the middle of September 2005.
L
College Avenue/Livingston
Originally an express variant of the D, service replaced it by the mid-1990s with the introduction of the LX.
Eliminated in 2010 due to low ridership.
LXc
College Avenue/Livingston via Cedar Lane
Temporary version of the LX for the 2010-11 school year after complaints by students and staff who settled into places within the Highland Park region prior to the late-onset elimination of the L.
Did not return after Spring 2011.
Newark Campus
Rutgers Newark Bus System Map - Weekdays - Fall 2022
There are currently 4 routes on weekdays and 1 night service running seven nights a week for Newark campus.[31]
Weekday routes
Name
Stops
Hours of Operation
Campus Connect
Boyden Hall → NJIT → New Street Lot → ICPH → Bergen Building → Medical School → ECC → Washington Park → Broad St → University North → Physical Plant
7:00AM–11:30PM
Campus Connect Express
Boyden Hall → Medical School → CLJ → Washington Park
9:05AM–3:25PM
Newark Penn Station Local
Penn Station → Medical School → University Hospital → Bergen Building (after 7pm only) → Dental School → 180 W. Market St. → ICPH → Blumenthal Hall
6:45AM–12:15AM
Newark Penn Station Express
Penn Station → Medical School → University Hospital
7:00AM–10:00AM 3:00PM–7:00PM
The Newark Penn Station Midnight Express Security Shuttle operates between 12:00AM and 4:00AM every day, providing transportation between Newark Penn Station and the Rutgers Newark Campus via Boyden Hall.
Intracampus shuttle that ran seven days a week (excluding holidays), stopping at Boyden Hall, Golden Dome, CLJ (Rutgers Law), 15 Washington, Broad St. Station, Physical Plant, and Newark Penn Station (morning/evening only).
Discontinued since Fall 2020.
Newark Run Run Express
7:00AM–10:00AM 3:00PM–7:00PM
Express version of Newark Run Run, stopping at Boyden Hall, CLJ, Washington Park, Broad St, and Physical Plant.
Discontinued since Fall 2020.
Camden Campus
Rutgers Camden Bus System Map - Weekdays - Fall 2022
Bus routes for Camden campus only operate on weekdays.
Name
Stops
Hours of Operation
Camden Shuttle
City Lot 15 → City Lot 16 → Law School → Nursing & Science Building → Joint Health Sciences Center → Business & Science Building [33]
^"Department of Transportation Services". Retrieved 6 September 2014. Starting Monday September 1st a new transit system will provide enhanced service while meeting the daily transportation needs of all students, faculty and staff of Rutgers University – Newark and RBHS, as well as NJIT, Essex County College (ECC) and University Hospital (UH).
