More local residents will be able to reach more job sites beginning Monday, June 12, under an expanded Route 130 Connection bus service provided by Mercer County and the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, County Executive Brian M. Hughes announced.
Mercer County has designated $710,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act allocation to fund this two-year expansion of the Route 130 Connection, which provides bus service between the Trenton Transit Center and the N.J. Turnpike Exit 8A warehouse area in Monroe and South Brunswick, with stops in Hamilton, East Windsor and Hightstown, and at Mercer County Community College’s West Windsor campus. The fare is $1 each way per passenger. The Route 130 Connection is funded primarily through an annual NJ Transit grant and Mercer County funds, and administered by the Greater Mercer TMA.
Mr. Hughes noted that many new entry-level jobs are located in suburban areas, and that low-income individuals may have difficulty accessing these jobs.
“We’re pleased to be able to connect more people to employment opportunities by adding bus stops to the Route 130 Connection and providing additional service times to accommodate more people, such as those working evening or late-night shifts,” he said.
“I thank the Greater Mercer TMA for its support of this initiative and the important work it does every day to improve mobility for our residents and assist our business community.”
“Removing barriers to employment is critical,” said Cheryl Kastrenakes, Executive Director of the Greater Mercer TMA.
“One barrier is the lack of transportation to jobs at suburban sites and warehouse locations. Mercer County has been helping to address this transportation barrier with the Route 130 Connection bus and has stepped up again to meet a growing need for more service with this latest expansion. We applaud the County for making transportation access a priority.”
This expansion will serve the existing warehouse bus route, while adding stops at UPS, Wakefern and those employers located on Hightstown-Cranbury Station Road and Station Road, such as Wayfair and Amazon Cranbury. The drive time is expected to take a maximum of one hour from the Trenton Transit Center to Wakefern in Monroe at the end of the route, but could take less time based on the number of stops on that particular run and time of day.
For more information on the Route 130 Connection, as well as other county and community bus services, visit https://gmtma.org/mercer-county-bus-service/