Glen Ridge's Jitney Has Six Weeks Left on Its Current Schedule, and a Price Still to Settle
On New Year's Eve 2025, the Borough of Glen Ridge posted that it was considering phasing out its jitney after one of its longtime drivers retired. According to The Journalist, the Glen Ridge High School newspaper, residents took the post to Facebook and other forums within days. That reaction led to a crowded council meeting on January 5, 2026.
Almost a year later, December 31 matters again. The borough has said the jitney will keep its current routes, schedules and service levels through December 31, 2026. The debate that started a year ago has also changed. Through 2026, Borough Hall stopped asking whether Glen Ridge should have a jitney and started asking what an outside company would charge to run one. The first answer, in October, cost more than the borough had available.
The borough's own figures explain why the review started. In a January 2026 statement, it reported these jitney numbers for calendar year 2025:
| 2025 jitney figure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fare revenue | About $27,500 |
| Capital and operating cost | About $293,000 |
| Borough cost per ride | More than $8 |
A one-way fare is $4. The borough's jitney page says ridership has never recovered above 40% of its pre-pandemic level. The same January statement named two pressures on top of that: one driver was retiring, and the borough would soon need to buy another bus.
The subsidy goes back to an earlier change in rail service. NJ Transit paid for the jitney after the Benson Street Station closed once the Montclair Connection was finished. That funding ended in 2011, and that is when the borough began charging fares. The borough's statement says it has subsidized the jitney "for several years" because of how much the service matters to residents.
The Journalist put the cost in proportion. It reported that the jitney's roughly $290,000 annual cost is a relatively small share of a borough budget of about $13 million, or a little over 2%. The borough's January statement set the goal: "to provide a similar service at a reasonable price point."
At the January 5 meeting, residents offered changes, and The Journalist recorded the suggestions:
The borough then held a public meeting on Thursday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m. with a presentation on the jitney's history and options, followed by public comment. Montclair Local covered the meeting in advance.
Several of those suggestions show up in what the borough later went out to buy. When bids arrived in the fall, one was for running the whole service and the other was for fare-collection technology. At the October 26 council meeting, officials said other companies had expressed interest in providing software and rider apps. Electronic passes and real-time tracking are the features that kind of software provides.
At the October 13 meeting, Councilor Lefkovits, reporting for the Finance and Administration Committee, said the borough received two proposals, one to run the program and one for software, and that both would be rejected. He said the borough would keep considering the software application and would seek more proposals "to ensure a competitive selection and a service that meets residents' needs."
Two weeks later, he told the council that budget work was continuing. More operators had expressed interest in running a microtransit jitney, and more providers had offered software and rider apps. The borough was still evaluating its options, and "once a more developed proposal is available, an additional public meeting may be scheduled."
The price question stayed open through the fall while public attention moved on. Both October meeting minutes record that nobody spoke during public comment. The September 28 grant resolution authorized the borough to apply for and accept the money, which is different from an award.
Montclair has no jitney today, and it is working through the same questions from the other direction. Its Public Transit Working Group released an interim report in September 2026 that calls itself a research update rather than a proposal. The report recommends a shuttle open to the general public, used for more than commuting, with at least two buses running, which it puts at roughly 30-minute intervals. It leaves the choice between fixed-route, deviated and on-demand service open, along with days and hours.
Glen Ridge is one of the examples in Montclair's shuttle bus report. It describes the borough's jitney as a weekday rush-hour train service with a $4 fare or $30 monthly pass, a $293,000 annual cost, low ridership, and alternatives under study. One survey response printed in that Montclair report suggests that Montclair coordinate its service with Glen Ridge and other nearby towns. Another comes from a household where one member rides the Glen Ridge jitney to work twice a week. The report gives 2027 as a tentative launch year for Montclair's own service.
Until December 31, the jitney runs two weekday loops, both ending at the Ridgewood Avenue train station. NJ Transit lists it as Glen Ridge Station on the Montclair-Boonton Line, at Bloomfield Avenue and Ridgewood Avenue.
| Loop | Selected stops |
|---|---|
| North End | Tuxedo, Avon, Glen Ridge Parkway and Sunset along Ridgewood Avenue; Forest Avenue from Sunset to Baldwin; Clinton and Osborne; the Benson Street lot |
| South End | Washington, Reynolds and Cross along Ridgewood Avenue; Carteret at Hawthorne and Midland; Midland at Madison, Maolis and Linden; Hillside at Washington and Appleton |
Morning runs connect with trains at 6:07, 6:42, 7:01, 7:30, 7:39, 8:09 and 8:24/8:33. In the evening, the shuttle leaves the station at 4:18, 4:58, 5:21, 5:53, 6:01, 6:24, 6:41, 6:59, 7:14 and 7:50. The posted timetable is labeled effective November 18, 2024, so check the borough's jitney page before relying on a particular departure.
Fares are $30 for a monthly card, $25 for a 10-trip book that does not expire, and $4 for a one-way ride paid in exact change. You can buy cards and books online through the borough's payment center or by mail. Mailed orders for a monthly card must arrive 10 days before the end of the previous month, which leaves little time to mail an order for December. Borough passes are on sale only through December 2026. Questions and comments go to the Borough Clerk at [email protected].
A daily ride to the train is part of what a Glen Ridge address means, and borough decisions like this one shape how buyers weigh a house on Forest Avenue or Midland Avenue. When you want to know how changes in Glen Ridge bear on your own property, The Wright Group will prepare a careful, data-driven read of the market. Request a complimentary home valuation.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
A Seller's Guide to Pricing Strategy in Montclair, NJ Real Estate.
Smart Strategies for Sellers Navigating Montclair, NJ Real Estate.
Your Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist in Montclair, NJ, for a Market-Ready Home.
Trusted, local Listing Specialists who will help you achieve your real estate goals and tell your home's story like no one else can. The Wright Group will MAXIMIZE your home's equity with unrivaled storytelling power and exceptional sales expertise!