BELLEVILLE/NORTH ARLINGTON – April 6, 2023 – There’s good news for Belleville and North Arlington commuters who would have otherwise been stranded as DeCamp Bus Lines halts its NYC commuter bus services on Friday, April 7.

NJ Transit, at the urging of Belleville Mayor Michael Melham, North Arlington Mayor Daniel Pronti and officials in nearby municipalities, is modifying four existing commuter bus routes in northern New Jersey to accommodate former DeCamp riders.

Beginning Monday, April 10, NJ Transit’s 199D line will now provide alternative service for DeCamp’s Route 44 customers in Belleville, North Arlington, Newark and Lyndhurst to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, departing NYC at Gate 208.

Former DeCamp Route 44 customers will be able to get on and off the NJ Transit bus headed to New York City at Union Avenue and Mill Street in Belleville. In North Arlington, commuters can get on and off at Ridge Road and Garden Terrace.

Restoring service has been a priority for Melham and Pronti, who joined on conference calls with other area mayors, as well as county and state officials, to identify quick solutions.

“It was evident that this was going to create a hardship for residents who had come to rely on this bus route to get them to and from New York for their work or to see loved ones,” Melham said. “Thankfully, our concerns were heard and some service was restored.”

Pronti wrote a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy, expressing his concerns.

He wrote: “Many of our North Arlington residents depend on the existing DeCamp Bus service into and back from Manhattan. We hope that our state representatives, as well as NJ Transit, find a solution and take over the DeCamp routes so our residents do not suffer any long term financial losses due to these unanticipated changes.”

Melham and Pronti are advocating for additional, permanent transportation options, as the interim NJ Transit plan only includes weekday peak periods for the four modified bus routes.

According to NJ Transit, the plan will accommodate approximately 85% of current weekday DeCamp customers. The remaining customers can access existing bus, rail and light rail service, as well as local municipal bus shuttles, the agency states.

“It is important to note that this emergency service plan will only include weekday peak periods for the four modified bus routes and will not duplicate the current DeCamp routes in their entirety, though the variants will mirror many portions of the current routes,” says Jim Smith, NJ Transit’s Chief Communication Officer. “During weekends and off-peak weekdays, customers are advised to utilize existing NJ Transit services. NJ Transit will continually monitor ridership demand, and will be able to make adjustments in June if warranted and as resources allow.”

Updates will be provided at NJTransit.com