Colonial Coach Service Ends in Morris Twp., Remains in Morristown

If you live in Morristown, Aug. 1 might have looked a lot like any other day. But for Morris Township residents who have utilized the free Colonial Coach bus service, something was conspicuously absent.

As of Sunday, Morris Township no longer participates in the Colonial Coach program, established in the late 1980s as a joint venture by the town and township as a way to provide residents of both municipalities with another means of transportation.

In a letter to Morristown Business Administrator Michael Rogers, dated June 30, Morris Township Administrator Fred Rossi says his municipality will no longer be participating in the Colonial Coach program "due to budgetary constraints."

Rogers said routes have already been adjusted to reflect the discontinuation of service by Morris Township, though they remain the same within Morristown. The service runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

As a program passed by referendum in the late 1980s by voters of both communities, the Colonial Coach service was basically a public mandate, Rogers said. It's been a common sight in both Morristown and Morris Township since.

"The decision will certainly have an impact on the projected revenues we had in the budget for 2010 based upon years prior," Rogers said. "We had estimated a revenue amount we would receive from the township. For them to end the service it will leave a shortfall on that revenue line item somewhere between, $10-to-$15,000 this year."

Mayor Timothy Dougherty, Rogers and several council members met recently with regular riders of the Colonial Coach service to get a sense of what their needs were and how the service could be improved.

"We're trying to figure out what we're doing with the Colonial Coach," Rogers said. He said certain destinations in Morris Township, like the Morris County Mall on Ridgedale Avenue, would still be in place.

Rogers said Morristown residents using the service should not be affected. The town also is looking at ways to change the perception of the Colonial Coach service, which he said is primarily utilized by seniors, but can be used by any resident of the town.

A senior bus service through the Morristown Office on Aging is in place, which allows seniors the ability to schedule specific pick-up and drop-off points, whereas Colonial Coach follows specific routes.  

Morris County's Division on Aging also has a service, Morris Area Paratransit System (MAPS) that exclusively serves seniors.