Municipal Transportation

Bedminster Township offers complimentary van service for residents who are over age 55 or disabled. To ride the senior van, residents must get pre-approval from the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Somerset Hills. To schedule an appointment with the VNA for an in-home appointment to determine rider eligibility, please call (908) 766-0180 ext. 139. Riders who are approved by the VNA to ride the van should call (908) 212-7000 ext. 427 to schedule van service for the following locations:

Monday – No van service available

Tuesday – Hillsborough: ShopRite, Kohl’s and Farmers Market

Wednesday – Chester: ShopRite and Dollar Store

Thursday – Bridgewater: Wegman’s; North Branch or Manville: Walmart

Friday – No van service available

The Bernards Township Parks and Recreation Department offers complimentary weekly shopping trips to residents age 55 and older. The bus makes two trips a week: Wednesdays for groceries and Thursdays for the mall. For a trip to run, there must be a minimum of five people. For additional information, call 908-766-2510.

Bridgewater Township offers its senior citizens a free transportation program to all activities at the senior center, as well as for grocery shopping and doctor appointments. For more information on senior citizen activities, to register for a program, or to arrange a ride, call Bridgewater Township’s  senior citizen coordinator, Donna Langel, at (908) 575-8021 or email seniors@bridgewaternj.gov.

Community Access Unlimited provides transportation services in Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties.  CAU is a state-approved transportation provider with the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities. Availability may be limited.

There is a small charge for the service, which is covered by Medicaid. The single-passenger rate is $2.00 per mile in a non-accessible vehicle and $2.40 per mile in an accessible vehicle. The group passenger rate is 74 cents per mile. CAU’s transportation services are billed as Goods and Services and are Medicaid-eligible.

To learn more or to register, contact Gene Tavera, assistant director of information and referral, at 908.354.3040, ext. 4272, or gtavera@caunj.org.

Hillsborough Township provides bus service in the local area from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to residents who are age 60 and over, or individuals with disabilities age 18 and over with verification, without other means of transportation. Transportation is provided to area doctors, senior wellness programs at the municipal building, grocery shopping, and so on. Users can either use the bus during the set schedule or make an appointment for curb-to-curb service. Pre-registration is required. Call (908) 369-3880 for additional information.

NJ Find A Ride is an online directory of public and accessible transportation options for those who do not own a car. The website offers a place to look at how to get from one location to another in a local community through a searchable database. The search results will match your specific transportation needs and state who is eligible, how much it costs and how to arrange for a ride.

The New Jersey Travel Independence Program (NJTIP) @ Rutgers was created to increase the independence and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities, older adults and others by empowering them to use the public transit system safely and independently.

NJTIP @ Rutgers works with a variety of government agencies, community organizations and schools to teach travel skills to individuals. Travel instruction is also available in select counties to individuals and small groups based on available grant funding. The service is available to Access Link applicants (except for those with visual impairments) who reside in any one of the following counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, or Union. The only cost to customers during training is paying their own fares. Each graduate receives a free one-month bus pass.  For more information, call (848) 932-4499 or email njtip_info@njtip.rutgers.edu

North Plainfield provides free, curb-to-curb bus service for residents.  Transportation to the following locations can be scheduled by calling 908-753-0707:

Monday:  Blue Star Shopping Center
Tuesday:  Senior meeting at North Plainfield Community Center
Wednesday:  Watchung Square
Thursday:  North Plainfield Community Center (Bingo)
Friday:  Middlesex Farmer’s Market (1st & 3rd Friday), ShopRite/Kohl’s (2nd & 4th Friday)

Note: The bus holds a maximum of 16 people.

Peapack and Gladstone partners with Bedminster Township to provide complimentary transportation for senior residents 55 years and older or disabled residents. To ride the senior van, residents must get pre-approval from the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Somerset Hills. To schedule an appointment with the VNA for an in-home appointment to determine rider eligibility, please call (908) 766-0180 ext. 259. Riders who are approved by the VNA to ride the van should call (908) 212-7000 ext. 427 to schedule van service for the following locations.

Monday – No van service available

Tuesday – Hillsborough: ShopRite, Kohl’s and Farmers Market

Wednesday – Chester: ShopRite and Dollar Store

Thursday – Bridgewater: Wegman’s; North Branch or Manville: Walmart

Friday – No van service available

Ridge Oak provides frequent shopping trips to Bernardsville, Lyons, Stirling and Gillette. There is no charge for this service. The bus is also available to drive residents to local church services on Sundays. Ridge Oak has a small cadre of volunteer drivers that may be available (with at least 5 business days’ notice) to drive a resident to a local medical appointment. Call the Ridge Oak Office at (908) 221-0266 to inquire about volunteer assistance. Have the location and time of your appointment handy when you call.

Ryde4Life provides transportation to adults 18 years or older in partnership with Lyft and Uber.  Rides are provided between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  Rides are in real time; no advance reservation is needed.  A credit or debit card and a cell phone (smart phone or not) are required to participate in the program.  Pre-registration in the program is also required.  For additional information, call (866) 208-1307, Option 4, or email ryde4life@ezride.org

The Division of Transportation provides para-transit services to senior citizens (age 60+) and persons with disabilities (age 18+) for medical, employment, workshops, senior centers, and other destinations as pre-determined. Rides must be scheduled in advance. Call (908) 231-7115 or (800) 246-0527.

Warren Township offers transportation for senior citizens on the following schedule:

Wednesday – Shopping

AM – Blue Star and Watchung Square Mall

8:30/9:00 am and 3:00 pm – Bridgewater Mall and/or Walmart in Manville

Call (800) 246-0527 to register and arrange for a ride. The bus will come to your home.

Transportation to medical appointments may be available to Warren Township residents who are disabled and cannot drive. Please contact Somerset County Transportation for availability. There is a suggested donation of $2 each way.

Wednesday transportation to Our Lady of the Mount for Warren Senior Club meetings is also available. Call (800) 246-0527 to register in advance. Daily weekday service to the Warrenbrook Senior Center may be available. Call the senior center at (908) 753-9440 to arrange transportation.