Township Wants to Change Rt. 130 Bus Stops, Caught in Red Tape

Mayor Don Brauckmann wants to get the ball rolling on communication with the state on a possible bus stop change along Route 130 and the inevitable construction and maintenance costs associated, he announced this week.

This issue has been dragging on for six years Mayor Don Brauckmann said, but the gas station owner whose property is right at the bus stop said it’s more like eight years.

John Feghali, owner of Riggins on the corner of Route 130 South and Riverton Road, said he’s seen his share of accidents near the bus stop; that prompted him to reach out to the township and state to see if the bus stop could be changed.

New Jersey Transit officials met with Feghali a number of years ago and agreed with him, Feghali said, that the bus stop should be moved across Riverton Road to underneath the pedestrian overpass.

“It doesn’t make sense for them to cross the street to use the bridge,” Feghali said.

Brauckmann and Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti agree with Feghali. The township has been in contact with New Jersey Transit and the state Department of Transportation.

“This is where we are getting a difference of opinion,” Brauckmann said. “There hasn’t been consistent information.”

Brauckmann said the state should be responsible for building and construction and the township deals with maintenance.

“But for some reason,” the mayor said, “we can’t get that in writing.”

Feghali said he’s glad the township is again moving forward with the proposal because he’s had his share of issues in the 18 years since he’s been there.

“The main concern is the location—because it’s between those two lights,” Feghali said.

The bus stop in front of Riggins is between the double traffic lights at both sides of Riverton Road and Route 130.

“People hit the brakes and slide onto the curb or landscape,” Feghali said. “There are people standing there waiting for the bus and they have to run out of the way.”

Feghali said he sees cars slide into the curb about once a month.

Secondly, Feghali said, there’s no shelter, there’s no bench and there’s no trash receptacle.

“There’s no place for the people to wait,” he said. “When it rains, people stand under the pumps. God forbid something happens—I’m liable.”

Feghali also said the bus stop isn’t maintained how it should be.

“Everyone likes to leave their trash behind,” he said.

Last time officials from NJ Transit came out to inspect the location, they met with the Cinnaminson Police and township engineer, the mayor said.

“Everyone agreed [the new location] was safer,” Brauckmann said.

And while township officials have the state officials’ ears, they wanted to get information about other bus stops in town. If a new shelter will be built across Riverton Road from Riggins, what about the others in town along Route 130?

“We cannot seem to get a definitive answer,” Minniti said. “Depending on who you talk to, it’s all different answers. In order to address our mass transit points in total, we have to get direct answers to those questions.”

At Monday’s township committee meeting, Brauckmann said he wants to contact all parties involved and set up a conference call or in-person meeting.

“Let’s get all the key players in the same room,” Brauckmann said. “And that way, it’s finalized for all of our locations, not just the one. I think it’s gone on long enough. We owe it to ourselves and the businesses to try to get to the bottom of it.”

Stay with Patch as we exclusively bring you this story.