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Route 22 Safety Shuttle Marks 11 Years Serving Residents – Over 700,000 Rides Provided to Date

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders reminds residents who work along and visit the Route 22 stretch from Union, through Kenilworth and Springfield to take advantage of the Route 22 Safety Shuttle.

“Union County is committed to improving safety conditions, both for county residents and visitors, that travel to work and shop along the Route 22 corridor,” said Freeholder Chairman Sergio Granados. “For the past 11 years, the Route 22 Safety Shuttle has provided a more secure means of crossing for pedestrians.”

The Route 22 Safety Shuttle was implemented in October, 2007 to provide a safer means of crossing the highway to transit-dependent employees of retail, office, and industrial businesses, as well as local residents.

The Shuttle runs Monday through Friday from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm., Saturday 6:45 am to 9:45 pm and Sunday from 7:30 am to 7:45 pm every 30 minutes, based on traffic conditions.

The Route 22 Safety Shuttle is has three routes that, combined, stop at all NJ Transit designated bus stops from Union through Kenilworth and Springfield. Service is offered seven days a week, 362 days per year and is available free of charge to the general public as well as county employees. To see a map of the Rt. 22 Shuttle routes visit ucnj.org/shuttle22routes.

“It’s important to remind residents about the Route 22 Safety Shuttle since this stretch of road lacks traffic controls, which aid in pedestrian safety,” says Freeholder Alexander Mirabella. “This free service is the safest option for pedestrians to cross Route 22.”

The Shuttle was implemented in a collaborative effort by the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Transit and the County of Union. In the 11 years since implementation the service has provided over 700,000 one-way rides to passengers.

The NJDOT Route 22 Pedestrian Safety Study recommended improvements to reduce or eliminate pedestrian accidents and fatalities along the 3.5 mile center median section of Route 22 in Union, Kenilworth and Springfield. The establishment of the Safety Shuttle was a cost-effective non-engineering solution after alternatives such as a traffic signals and a pedestrian overpass were previously rejected as too costly or otherwise unacceptable.

For further information, contact the Union County Paratransit System by phone at 908-659-5000 or visit ucnj.org/paratransit.