Transportation is an expensive business. Moving people safely from one place to another costs a lot money. Millions of taxpayer dollars subsidizes New Jersey Transit every year. The "real" cost of that ride on the bus or train is much more. Most people support subsidies because using mass transit is good for the environment and reduces congestion on our roads. I take public transportation when ever I can. People are always complaining about the cost of subways, buses and trains but in many cases it's an incredible bargain. You can travel from Wayne to Newark Airport for only $1.35. You can ride anywhere the New York City Subway goes for $2.75.
Keeping all of this is mind Coach USA is a private company. Politicians were involved in getting the pilot program started but there was no government subsidy. To cover expenses Coach USA needed at least 30 people to ride the bus daily. According to the company ridership was averaging only 10 people a day. Vernon Mayor Harry Shortway told NJ Advance Media there were some mornings when no one showed up at all. The commuter service from Vernon to Manhattan was cancelled on Friday. There was just no demand.
I often take the NJ Transit train from Port Jervis to Penn Station in New York. The ride costs 22 bucks. Sometimes the train is more than 90 percent empty. This happens when a service is subsidized. I guess for those who need the train it is essential so the cost is justified. On the other hand a private company would go out of business if they ran empty trains and buses.
Coach USA deserves a lot of credit for trying something New Jersey Transit would not. 1023 WSUS was happy to support Coach USA with plenty of free promotion (even a live broadcast). Ultimately, it was up to commuters in Vernon and surrounding towns to support the service. They did not.
Source NJ.Com
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