The Senior Loop transportation pilot program, which provides “hop on-hop off” shuttle bus service of sorts for five hours every Tuesday, had a bit of a slow start in its first month, and Village officials are encouraging more seniors to take advantage of the service to show the demand is there.
The idea of the shuttle is to give senior citizens the opportunity to catch a bus every hour at any of the 14 stops on a loop around town rather than having to call ahead to reserve bus service.
According to South Orange Village, council members Summer Jones and Jen Greenberg worked closely with Walk Bike Ride South Orange, the Senior Advisory Committee, and the South Orange Parking Authority to launch “The Loop,” the three-month pilot program.
At the June 22 Village Council meeting, Councilwoman Summer Jones, quoting a Spike Lee movie, encouraged seniors to “get on the bus,” so the pilot program will be a success.
“If we want to keep it going, we have to show that it works, and that it’s usable,” she said. “So we definitely need more people.”
When the program launched, Jones was quoted on the Village website as saying, “We consistently hear from seniors that transportation is directly connected to independence, social engagement, and overall well-being. We are excited to launch this service and learn from resident feedback as we continue evaluating transportation needs in South Orange.”
Riders on the inaugural day of the pilot program in June. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum said that the pilot program is part of the Village’s broader effort to explore expanded transportation options.
“Residents have expressed interest in additional local shuttle services, and this pilot is an important step in evaluating how those transportation options could serve South Orange more broadly,” Collum said. “We are excited to see how residents use the service and how these conversations can help shape future mobility options for the community.”
On each Tuesday of the first month of the program, there have been just a handful of riders.
“Ridership is averaging 6 to 8 riders per shuttle day. I rode on Tuesday [June 30]. [South Orange Parking Authority Director] Mark Hartwyck was shadowing a new driver, so I got to speak with him briefly during one of the stops,” said Rick Kalish, the chair of the Senior Advisory Committee. “We do plan to meet in the next month or so to evaluate where we go next. He sounded confident that we will continue to provide the shuttle into the fall. I don’t want to speak for him, but that was the impression that I received.”
Stop & Shop is one of the hourly Senior Loop bus stops. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
Hartwyk told Village Green he would have an update next week. And when the program launched in June, Hartwyk was quoted on the Village website as saying, “This pilot gives us an opportunity to explore a more flexible transportation option for senior adults while assessing future community needs.”
Kalish said the main feedback he’s received from riders is that the bus needs to run more frequently than every hour to be more convenient.
“I’m hoping that a benefit of this will be awareness of community members of the ‘on-demand’ service available to South Orange seniors the other days of the week,” he said. “It’s an underutilized resource.”
That “on-demand” service is the Village’s Dial-a-Ride bus for seniors, which runs Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
At the June 22 meeting, Collum said the tough part about getting a program off the ground is that it can take a while to get the exposure it needs and for ridership to pick up.
“And this is like public transportation. At first, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure,’ but if you try it one time, and it’s a good experience, you’ll come back,” she said. “So in a short period of time, I don’t think it’s really indicative until there’s more months, there’s more marketing, and it continues to build, because I really love the work that you guys put into this.”
In its first month, there were few hiccups that included road construction on some of the route making it impossible to pick up at the Senior Apartments on Vose Avenue and an ill-timed driver lunch break that left riders stranded on Valley Street until someone came and picked them up.
“It was starting to rain so we called someone at home to pick us up. Another neighbor of ours on the bus called her husband and gave a ride to a woman with shopping bags who had to make her way home,” said Murial Watt, who lives at The Newstead and was one one of those stranded on Valley a couple of weeks ago, adding that she and her friends were trying the bus out “for fun” and they all agreed aren’t likely to use it for any scheduled activity.
“It’s sad,” she said, “Because seniors, or anyone, could use a dependable service to get down to the Village and back up the hill again.”
The possibility of public transportation in both South Orange and Maplewood is an ongoing discussion. The SOMA Shuttle Working Group, led by Julia Flath of Walk Bike Ride South Orange, presented a preliminary idea for a two-town “microtransit” shuttle to the Maplewood Township Committee on June 3.
“Our vision is to establish a communal shuttle service beyond commuter transit, to link important destinations in both South Orange and Maplewood,” Flath told the Township Committee. “And it would be a loop-based shuttle, similar to our jitneys, with a dependable and consistent schedule. And it would cater to teens, older adults, disabled people, families, and the general public and all ages would be welcome with caregivers.”
Tonia Moore, former chair of the Senior Advisory Committee of South Orange who has been been advocating for a senior shuttle for years, said she would like to see the The Loop continue and grow and eventually become part of a broader public transportation system for the two towns.
“This outreach will be helpful to residents of every age if it survives,” Moore said. “However if it fails, it will be even harder to push the rock up the hill.”
