NJ Transit Launches Free MicroLink Service for On-Demand Rides in Bergen and Monmouth Counties

NJ Transit kicked off a free ride-on-demand shuttle Monday across Bergen and Monmouth counties. Passengers can now catch rides to major bus stops and park-and-ride lots. The two-year pilot, branded MicroLink, operates weekdays between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Federal Transit Administration dollars — $7 million total — are bankrolling the whole thing.

Want a ride? Grab the MicroLink app or dial 973-233-4047. It mimics how Uber and Lyft work, allowing passengers to request pickups and meet drivers at designated spots nearby.

“By offering flexible, on-demand service, we are helping customers more easily connect to our bus network while also expanding access to the broader transit system for a more seamless trip,” Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit CEO, said in a statement, according to NJ.com.

Monmouth County splits into two zones. The first zone spans chunks of Manalapan and Marlboro, shuttling passengers to Union Hill Park & Ride in Marlboro. Zone two wraps around Freehold Township and Freehold Borough, dropping riders at Freehold Mall Park & Ride.

Bergen County’s zone hugs the Knickerbocker Road corridor. Bergenfield, Tenafly, Englewood, and Teaneck all get coverage, with eight spots for pickups and drop-offs — Teaneck Armory and Englewood Health Center among them.

Via handles Bergen County operations through a contract. They also provide software for Monmouth County zones, though NJ Transit runs those vans itself.

Per ROI-NJ.com, Michael Vaccarino, Via’s Chief Revenue Officer, weighed in: “By integrating Via’s intelligent microtransit technology into the region’s existing infrastructure, we are making Transit more flexible, accessible, and efficient for thousands of residents.”

Six-seater vans — some electric, others gas-powered — make up the fleet. Every van has one wheelchair-accessible seat to satisfy Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

MicroLink takes over for select 139 bus routes that used to veer off Route 9. Those buses previously serviced Covered Bridge and Yorktown sections of Manalapan, plus Stonehurst and Raintree portions of Freehold Township.

Passengers should request rides 20 to 30 minutes ahead of when they want to go. Download the MicroLink app from the App Store or Google Play. Every trip must start or end at an NJ Transit bus stop, and pickups or drop-offs can’t happen outside the approved zones.

Officials plan to track how many people use it, what riders think, and whether it runs well during the trial period. That information will show whether other parts of the state could benefit from similar setups.

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