Politics & Government

Bus Stop Safety Needs to be Addressed, Officials Say

Township committee believes the bus stops along Route 130 in Cinnaminson are unsafe for commuters. But getting rid of them may not be a viable solution.

Everyone on township committee agrees—the bus stops along Route 130 are unsafe.

However, the question of what should be done about it is a subject of some debate. 

Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti initially suggested the township do away with many of the bus stops along 130, pointing out the potential hazard of having commuters "standing on small grass strips with cars whizzing by at 60 or 70 miles per hour"—particularly along .

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Minniti said several of the stops are underused, since many of the motels along Route 130—which drove much of the bus traffic in years past—have closed.

He added, "Without these bus stops, you also disincentivize people from using these motels as residences."

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But Committeeman Don Brauckmann cautioned against removing the stops, as they are the primary source of transportation for many people who work in the township.

"They do provide a service, whether we like it or not," he said. "The majority of people (using the bus stops) aren't professional people. They're in retail, or work on our industrial or service businesses. They rely on public transportation ... That's problematic, too."

Committee members John McCarthy and Kathy Fitzpatrick echoed Brauckmann's concerns about the potential problems caused by eliminating the stops.

"Public transportation is a way of life for a lot of people," Fitzpatrick said. "I don't know how many people we're going to affect (by removing the stops)."

Minniti walked back some of his comments, stating that rather than eliminating the stops, the township should push the state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit to move the stops to safer locations—inside shopping centers, for example—or merge stops.

He said the township had advocated for moving stops previously, but the response it got from the state was that doing so would slow down pickup/drop-off.

Minniti seemed unmoved by that argument: "Whether or not it's convenient, that doesn't make it safe."

He said the township should present a "comprehensive solution" to the state about how to resolve the issues with the bus stops, rather than trying to address the problem piecemeal.

The committee authorized Brauckmann to form a subcommittee to analyze the issue, along with McCarthy. 

Brauckmann said he would try to formulate a plan to present to committee at its April work session. 

What do you think the township should do about the bus stops along Route 130? Get rid of them? Move them? Nothing? Tell us in the comments below.


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