Today is the last day for the Edison Light Transit Service, a shuttle which ran to and from the Edison Train Station. This shuttle operated Monday through Friday in the mornings and evenings, charging $1.50 per ride. Edison cited “reduced subsidies along with increased costs of operation” for its decision to cancel, saying it “can no longer afford the funding required to operate this service.”

Shuttles enable residents to access transit stations without driving and increase transit ridership. By reducing the demand for parking, they can help ensure that neighborhoods around transit stations are lively, walkable places that support local retail. One of the earliest shuttle services was created in Maplewood in 1996, nicknamed the “jitney,” and today has hundreds of daily riders. Maplewood residents and civic groups helped start the system as an alternative to large parking lots NJ Transit had planned for their community.

Since 1999, NJ Transit has helped 20 municipalities start similar programs through its competitive Community Shuttle Program, which is funded through the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. The program offers seed money to communities for the purchase of shuttles, as well as operating assistance during the first three years a shuttle service runs. However, it is not currently funded for expansion.