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COVID-19 Transportation Changes

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been schedule changes to most of the public transportation serving Somerset County. RideWise will update this page with changes to transportation services as we become aware of them. MOST RECENT UPDATES ARE AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE IN BOLD.

To see updates to senior citizen transportation services by town, please visit our Municipal Transportation page.

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES (as of 7.23.21):

Hunterdon County LINK public buses – Effective June 21, 2021 The Stop At The Bridgewater Mall On Rt 23 Will Now Be At The Cheesecake Factory.

To make a transfer to the Somerset County SCOOT Buses or the NJ TRANSIT 114 bus, exit the LINK bus and walk through the mall to the escalators at the far end near Bloomingdales. Take the escalators up one level and walk outside to make your connection. SCOOT buses will be to the left, NJ TRANSIT buses to the right at the bus stop sign.

Somerset County public buses – Due to ongoing construction at the Somerville Train Station, the Somerset County public transit shuttles including the CAT and SCOOT routes will be picking up and dropping off passengers on the Veterans Memorial Drive side of the train station. Buses will not be entering the main entrance off of South Bridge Street until further notice. For more information, please call 908-231-7116.

Somerset County Transportation is running a full, regular schedule. Updated timetables for the CAT & SCOOT 858/859/860 routes began on April 5, 2021. Please check your schedule carefully to ensure your trip can be accommodated. To view transit schedules, click here.

Passengers and service operators are required to wear facial coverings. Vehicles will be disinfected after every shift and additional cleaning procedures will be performed to ensure that all vehicles are sterile. Residents who are experiencing any symptoms related to COVID-19 are NOT permitted to use the county’s transportation services and should immediately contact a healthcare professional. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, fever or coughing.

Somerset County para-transit services – Effective March 1, 2021, Somerset County has enhanced their para-transit services to provide additional personal trips.  Before March 1, residents could only schedule trips to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, county-operated senior wellness centers and employment.  Now, eligible seniors and persons with disabilities will have access to more destinations, so it will be easier for them to complete their errands and weekly tasks. 

Eligibility requirements and operating hours for the new para-transit services are still the same as established before March 1. Para-transit services will only be provided to Somerset County locations.  For more information about eligibility requirements click here, or call 908-231-7115, 1-800-246-0547.   

Hunterdon County LINK public buses – Effective June 21, 2021 The Stop At The Bridgewater Mall On Rt 23 Will Now Be At The Cheesecake Factory.

To make a transfer to the Somerset County SCOOT Buses or the NJ TRANSIT 114 bus, exit the LINK bus and walk through the mall to the escalators at the far end near Bloomingdales. Take the escalators up one level and walk outside to make your connection. SCOOT buses will be to the left, NJ TRANSIT buses to the right at the bus stop sign.

Hunterdon County Route 23 stop for the Somerville Train Station will temporarily be on Veterans Memorial Boulevard by the Train Station entrance instead of in the parking lot. Please contact dispatch for any questions 1-800-842-0531.

As of April 26, 2021, fares remain suspended, and riders will be notified at least two weeks before the fares resume. Somerset County locations for the LINK 23 bus include the RVCC campus, the Bridgewater Commons Mall and the Somerville Train Station. Click here for the schedule.

The LINK will continue follow the State guidelines for allowing 100% Capacity on board every run- The seats directly behind the driver remain blocked off until driver guards are installed.  Passengers are required to wear a facial covering while on the LINK vehicles. LINK vehicles cannot transport passengers for COVID related testing including the test site at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC). The RVCC testing site will not allow entry if residents do not arrive in a vehicle, even if they have a valid driver’s license and prescription. For the safety, health and security of staff and volunteers, patients must arrive by car.

NJ TRANSIT – NJ Transit trains, buses and light rail have made changes to some routes in their system due to low ridership. You are encouraged to check njtransit.com prior to your trip to ensure your trip can be accommodated. If you need assistance with understanding the schedules or learning how to ride public transportation, please contact RideWise at 908.704.1011, x18 and leave a message for assistance. Face coverings will remain required for all staff and passengers, under an executive order Gov. Phil Murphy signed July 13, 2020. NJ Transit trains, buses and light rail resumed operating at full capacity on July 15, 2020.

  • NJ Transit Buses – All NJ Transit Buses have resumed their regular, full schedules. NJ TRANSIT is resuming the collection of cash fares and front door boarding on buses which have protective barriers installed around the bus operator beginning August 3rd.  As part of NJ TRANSIT’s Your Ride to Recovery, the protective devices are being installed throughout the bus fleet to provide a barrier between the operator and customers.
  • NJ Transit Trains – Beginning Monday, July 6th, 2020, NJ TRANSIT resumed full weekday service for rail and light rail. Handheld mobile devices have been issued to train crews on the Raritan Valley Line (RVL) which can scan and validate both paper tickets/passes and electronic tickets/passes displayed on the mobile app – creating a more contactless customer experience.
  • NJ Transit Access Link Buses – NEW MOBILE APP - Available now, the NJT Access Link  mobile app provides an easy-to-use interface. The app is available for download for iOS and Android mobile devices. On Monday, April 5, 2021, Access Link retired their toll-free number. The new telephone number will is 973-491-4224. Running regular 7 day service. Access Link service is comparable to the bus in that it is available during the same days and hours as the regularly scheduled local fixed route bus service, including weekends and holidays. If there is bus service available, Access Link service will be available. If there is no bus service, Access Link will not be available. Customers are strongly encouraged to use EZ-Wallet, a contactless, electronic fare system where a payment profile is set up in advance, eliminating the need to use cash on board and reducing customer touchpoints with the operators. If cash is to be used, exact fare is required as Access Link operators cannot make change. EZ-Wallet accounts require a credit, debit or pre-paid card for set up.

Suburban 100 Bus (Princeton/Franklin Park/Franklin Township/New Brunswick) – New schedules are in effect as of April 19, 2021. Weekday service only. View schedule options here.

Suburban 200 Bus (Hillsborough) – NOT running

Lakeland Bus (Northern Somerset County/Rt 78 service) – Limited service on Rt. 78 will resume Monday, 5/3/21. Please check emergency schedule at lakelandbus.com for schedule and details.

TransBridge Bus (Rt 202/Branchburg) – No service. SERVICE TO WALL STREET, JFK AIRPORT, PHILLIPSBURG, AND DOYLESTOWN/FLEMINGTON HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED. Would like to resume limited service to Wall St. in the near future. There is no definite time frame for when we may resume service.

To view past transportation updates, please click here.