In 1980, the publicly owned New Jersey Transit (NJT) acquired the privately owned Transport of New Jersey (TNJ). And in 1982, NJT adopted a route numbering system to replace an old numbering system which had been adopted in 1925. Under the old system, streetcar routes had odd numbers and bus routes had even numbers. And numbers were duplicated among the several TNJ operating divisions. The new system would eliminate duplicated numbers. The streetcars were eventually replaced with buses, with "All Service Vehicles" (combination trolleybuses and motorbuses) operating briefly on some routes. Some routes were eventually discontinued, with route numbers in parentheses. This page lists New Jersey Transit routes which can trace their histories back to the privately owned transit companies. Not listed are routes newly formed by New Jersey Transit.
Most of the bus routes in this area were not part of Public Service Coordinated Transport or Transport of New Jersey, by the time New Jersey Transit assumed the operations. Many of the Union County and Middlesex County routes were part of the Central Division of Public Service Coordinated Transport, but were eventually discontinued or sold. Routes in Monmouth County were always independently operated, while routes in Morris County were only briefly operated by Public Service Coordinated Transport.
The three most significant cities served by Public Service Coordinated Transport's Central Division were Elizabeth, New Brunswick, and Plainfield, each of which originally had a local streetcar system. All streetcar routes were replaced with bus routes except for the "Somerset" route in Plainfield.
In 1953, Public Service Coordinated Transport sold its local routes in New Brunswick and Plainfield, while retaining the local bus routes in Elizabeth, Although New Jersey Transit routes 58 and 62 are the only routes to have evolved from those local routes. Nearly all other Central Division routes were eventually discontinued, including some routes numbered 30 and higher, which are not listed.
In addition, both Union County and Middlesex County had some streetcar routes operating from Essex County to the northeast, and are listed on the page for that county.
FORMER PSCT CENTRAL DIVISION ROUTES
Route Route Bus Former Company Buses Streetcars NJT
Number Name Type & Route Numbers Introduced Discontinued No.
(1) South Amboy PSCT 1 1930-bus 58 disc.
(2) New Brunsw.-S. Amboy TNJ 2 acq. 1923 815
(3) Middlesex PSCT 3 1930-bus 4 813
(4) New Brunsw.-P. Amboy PSCT 4 acq. 1923 813
(5) Rahway PSCT 5 1930-bus 48 disc.
(6) New Brunsw.-P. Amboy PSCT 6 new 1937 disc.
(7) Carteret T PSCT 7 1933-bus 62 62
(8) Highland Park PSCT 8 acq. 1923 810
(9) Highland PSCT 9 1931-bus 8 810
(10) Lincoln Gardens PSCT 10 acq. 1923 810
(12) Easton Av. PSCT 12 acq. 1924 disc.
(13) Easton Av. PSCT 13 1931-bus 12 disc.
(14) Livingston Ave. PSCT 14 acq. 1923 814
(15) New Brunswick-Trenton PSCT 15 1936 disc.
(16) Fourth St. PSCT 16 acq. 1923 1924-bus 16 819
(18) Netherwood PSCT 18 acq. 1923 1924-bus 18 822
(19) Raritan PSCT 19 1931 disc.
(20) Plainfield-Metuchen PSCT 20 acq. 1923 819
Somerset PSCT 1925 disc.
(22) Arlington PSCT 22 acq. 1925 1925-bus 22 822
(24) Seventh St. PSCT 24 acq. 1924 disc.
(26) Elmora (Kenilworth) PSCT 26 acq. 1924 1924-bus 26 disc.
(27) Elmora PSCT 27 1931-bus 26 disc.
(28) Roselle Park T PSCT 28 acq. 1924 58
(29) Jefferson PSCT 29 1930-bus 70 disc.
MIDDLESEX COUNTY LOCAL ROUTES
Route Route Bus Former Company Buses Streetcars
Number Name Type & Route Numbers Introduced Discontinued
801 Metropark Loop T PT 1 new 1980
802 Metropark Loop T PT 2 new 1980
803 Metropark Loop T PT 3 new 1985
810 New Brun.-Woodbridge T MxBC 8/M10 acq. 1923 1931
811 New Brun.-South River T TNJ 58/M11 new 1929
813 Perth A.-Middlesex CC T TNJ 4/M13 acq. 1923 1930
814 N. Brun.-Middlesex CC T MxBC 14/M14 acq. 1923
815 New Bruns.-Woodbridge T PSCT 2/M15 acq. 1923
817 Perth A.-Campbells J. T MBL 7/M17 1923 1923
818 New Brun.-Old Bridge T MxBC M18 new 1976
819 Piscataway-Metuchen T PT 16/M19 acq. 1923 1924
819 Piscataway-Metuchen T PT 20/M19 acq. 1923
822 Plainfield-N. Plainf. T PT 18 acq. 1923 1924
822 Plainfield-N. Plainf. T PT 22 acq. 1925 1925
830 Asbury Pk.-Pt. Pleas. T CCC 2/M20 1924 1931
831 Red Bank-Long Branch T Boro 1/M21 1922 1922
832 Red Bank-Asbury Park T Boro 2/M22 1930
833 Red Bank-Freehold T Boro 10/M23 disc.
834 Red Bank-Highlands T Boro 4/M24 1923 1923
835 Red Bank-Sea Bright T Boro 5/M25 1922 1922 disc.
836 Asbury Park-Centra T CCC 4/M26 1924
837 Long Branch-Seaview T CCC 7/M27 1924
MORRIS COUNTY LOCAL ROUTES
Route Route Bus Former Company Buses Streetcars
Number Name Type & Route Numbers Introduced Discontinued
871 Morristown-Willowbrk. T Watchung 1 new 1972
872 Morristown-Dover T Watchung 2 new 1972
873 Morristown-Livingston T PSCT 70 1928 1928
875 Morristown-Rockaway T MCM 2007
880 Morristown-Rockaway T PSCT 10 1928 1928
"WHEELS" ROUTES
Route Route Bus Former Company Buses Streetcars
Number Name Type & Route Numbers Introduced Discontinued
890 Phillipsburg-S. Main V DRCL new 1925 1931
891 Phillipsburg-Heckman V DRCL new 1925 1931
PSCT route 15 was an interurban railway route, which was replaced in 1930 with gas electric cars, in 1934 with buses capable of operating on roads or rails, and discontinued in 1936.In 1953, Public Service Coordinated Transport sold local routes 8 and 14 in New Brunswick, and local routes 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 64 in Plainfield to Suburban Transit Corp. Suburban Transit set up a subsidiary Plainfield Transit to operate the routes in that city. While in 1964, Suburban Transit transferred the New Brunswick routes to another subsidiary, Middlesex Bus Co. In 1987 the Middlesex Bus Co. was renamed Middlesex Metro. Since 1992, bus service had been operated under contract for New Jersey Transit.
NJT route 817 evolved from a portion of the independent interurban railway network operated by Jersey Central Traction Co., which ceased operations in 1923. Successor bus companies included James Doukas (1923-1926), Marathon Bus Line (1926-1971), Bayview Bus Co. (1971-1981), Middlesex Bus Co. (1981-1987), Middlesex Metro (1987-1992), Central Jersey Transit (after 1992). Bus service is now operated under contract for New Jersey Transit. In 1972, Bayview Bus Co. assumed operation of Public Service Coordinated Transport bus route 2, which later evolved to NJT route 815.
NJT route 830 basically replaced the Atlantic Coast Electric Railway, an independent interurban railway which ceased operations in 1931. Additional routes operated evolved to NJT routes 836 and 837. Successor bus companies included Coast Cities Coaches Inc. (1931-1979), and Monmouth Bus Lines Inc. (1979-1992). Since 1992, bus service had been operated under contract for New Jersey Transit.
NJT routes 831 through 835 evolved from the independent interurban railway network operated by Monmouth County Electric Railway, which ceased operations in 1923. Successor bus companies included Boro Busses Inc. (1921-1984), and Monmouth Bus Lines Inc. (1984-1992). Since 1992, bus service had been operated under contract for New Jersey Transit.
Until 2010, bus routes in Morris County had their own route numbers, and are operated somewhat independently from NJT. In 2010, NJT route numbers in the 870's were assigned. PSCT sold route 10 in 1966, and remained independently owned as the publicly subsidized Morris County Metro was formed in the 1970's. New Morris County Metro routes 1 and 2 were created in 1972. And PSCT/TNJ route 70 was split in 1976, with the Morris County segment becoming new Morris County Metro route 3.
NJT routes 890 and 891 are local routes in Phillipsburg, and bear little resemblance to the streetcar network which had been operated by Phillipsburg Transit Co. until 1931. The Phillipsburg Horse Car Railroad had provided streetcar service earlier. Successor bus companies included Lehigh Valley Transportation Co. (1931-1943), and Delaware River Coach Lines (after 1943). Delaware River Coach Lines continues to provide service under contract for New Jersey Transit.
Additional "WHEELS" routes are mostly operated under contract by various bus companies.
Independent Bus Companies
Prior to the formation of New Jersey Transit, most bus routes were part of Public Service Coordinated Transport (PSCT) or Transport of New Jersey (TNJ). While some bus routes were newly created by New Jersey Transit (NJT). The following abbreviations are used for bus companies which remained independent from PSCT and TNJ, and were later acquired by NJT.
Boro - Boro Busses Inc.
CCC - Coast Cities Coaches Inc.
DRCL - Delaware River Coach Lines
MBL - Marathon Bus Line
MxBC - Middlesex Bus Co.
PT - Plainfield Transit
Watchung - Watchung Mountain Transit