DeCamp Bus Lines is an apportioned[definition needed] bus company serving Essex County, New Jersey and Passaic County, New Jersey, with charter services. Until 2023, DeCamp also operated commuter line-run services to and from Manhattan.[2]

DeCamp Bus Lines
Ex-DeCamp #17079 turning to enter PABT on Former Route 33. This bus has returned to New Jersey Transit.
Founded1870
Headquarters
LocaleNorthern New Jersey
Service areaEssex and Passaic Counties, New Jersey
Service typeCharter
Fleet30
Daily ridership7282[1] (weekday, 2006)
Chief executiveGary Pard[1]
WebsiteDeCamp.com

History

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The family-run business was started as a stage-coach company, in 1870.[3]

COVID-19 pandemic

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All service was suspended on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey.[4]

It resumed in June, but was again curtailed on August 7, 2020, due to low unsustainable ridership.[5][6]

In May 2021, DeCamp began to resume operations once again starting with charter services. On June 14, 2021, commuter services also resumed on a limited weekday schedule.[7][8]

On March 20, 2023, DeCamp announced it would cease operating its commuter services lines after April 7, citing unsustainably low ridership because many of their former customers were now working from home instead of commuting to Midtown Manhattan.[9]

Former commuter routes

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There were no fixed stops other than terminals, buses could hail to board; riders could request a stop to exit. Local passengers within New Jersey were not carried on any line except for the 32. According to the company it normally carried up to 7,000 passengers per day. However these numbers dropped after the COVID-19 pandemic.

While all lines were indefinitely and temporarily suspended at the onset of the pandemic, the 32 and 88 lines were never brought back after commuter services were brought back. As such, these routes were unofficially discontinued since 2020, and permanently with the decision by DeCamp to drop the commuter routes. All other routes were brought back to some extent, and permanently discontinued in April 2023. Some of the routes were rebranded and operated under New Jersey Transit. Buses that NJT owned were sent back.

Route Terminal A Via Terminal B
32
(weekdays only)
Port Authority Bus Terminal Paterson Plank Road
Ridge Road
Belleville Turnpike
Centre Street
Kingsland Street
Nutley
Kingsland Street and Darling Avenue
33 Port Authority Bus Terminal (full-time)
Lower Manhattan
Wall Street (rush hour service inbound only)
Passaic Avenue
Broad Street or Grove Street
Bloomfield Avenue
W. Caldwell or Montclair
Essex Mall
44 Port Authority Bus Terminal Ridge Road
Belleville Turnpike
Heller Parkway/Franklin Street
Bloomfield
Franklin Street and Montgomery Street
66
(C, MU, and R weekdays only)
Route 3
Valley Road
Park Street
Montclair State University (some trips)
Harrison Avenue
Eagle Rock Avenue (R trips only)
Prospect Avenue (R trips only)
W. Orange
Mississippi Loop (full-time)
Montclair
Park Street and Bloomfield Avenue OR Watchung Plaza (some trips)
W. Orange
Crown View Apartments (CV trips only)
W. Caldwell
Essex Mall (R trips only)
88
(weekdays only)
Broad Street
Prospect Street
Orange
Central Avenue and
Evergreen Place OR Scotland Road
99
(rush hours only)
Ridge Road/Kearny Avenue/Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard Harrison
Rodgers Boulevard and Harrison Avenue
 
Map of Former DeCamp Routes, 2019

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Transportation Database Program 2006 filing for Trans-Bridge Lines" (PDF). 18 September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  2. ^ "DeCamp Bus Lines history". Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  3. ^ Martin, Julia (6 August 2020). "DeCamp Bus Lines suspending all service due to COVID-19 pandemic". NorthJersey.com. Gannett. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  4. ^ Higgs, Larry (March 24, 2020). "Bus companies suspend commuter service due to the coronavirus". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
  5. ^ Higgs, Larry (August 6, 2020). "Private N.J. bus company halts service, slashes jobs. 'No one was traveling.'". nj. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
  6. ^ Higgs, Larry (August 7, 2020). "After private bus company stops service, NJ Transit and Coach USA offer help for riders". nj. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.
  7. ^ "Bus Transportation | NYC Commuter & Charter Bus NY, NJ, CT & PA". Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  8. ^ Martin, Julia (May 26, 2021). "DeCamp will resume bus service to New York City soon, owner says". NorthJersey.com.
  9. ^ "@DeCampBusLines". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
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