DeCamp Bus Suspension Continues In NJ Amid Coronavirus

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The fates of New Jersey and New York have been linked in many ways during the coronavirus pandemic. And it will be the feasibility of opening offices in New York City that will determine when – or if – DeCamp Bus Lines will restart service in the Garden State.

In August, the Montclair-based company announced that it would be suspending service due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The news was a hit to many commuters in Essex County, who relied on DeCamp buses to get in and out of New York City. According to its website, the company was making 200 trips per day between points in northern New Jersey and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan before the shutdown.

A DeCamp spokesperson previously said the suspension would last until at least September, as the family-owned company tries to find a way to cope with a steep ridership loss and the costs of salaries and insurance.

So when will service restart? It depends on the situation in New York City, DeCamp told Patch on Tuesday.

A spokesperson wrote:

“We participate on regular calls with other private regular route operators, NJ Transit operations and the Port Authority to gauge the level of reopening of offices and businesses in New York City, which will be the metric that we utilize to determine if and when we can restart operations, as well as the level of service we could provide.”

DeCamp was one of many companies and nonprofits in New Jersey that received funds from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which aimed to help businesses keep workers on their payrolls during the COVID-19 crisis.

• See related article: Coronavirus PPP Loans In Montclair (Where The Money Went)

However, DeCamp has also argued that it's among the motorcoach, tour and travel businesses being "shut out" of other federal stimulus packages during the COVID-19 shutdown.

DeCamp spokespeople offered the following statement to Patch in August:

"While the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act directed $1.4 billion in FTA funding to New Jersey, that amount has been allocated only to NJ Transit, leaving private carriers such as DeCamp without a similar lifeline. Private carriers account for an estimated 35 percent of the scheduled bus service in the state, based on passenger miles, and our collective operations actually help to generate FTA funding for the state of New Jersey. So it is disappointing that we cannot access relief funds that would enable us to continue to serve our passengers and to provide jobs for our employees."

Essex County Freeholder President Brendan Gill previously warned that the loss of DeCamp may "severely impact" the quality of life for many local commuters.

Gill, a Montclair resident, pushed Gov. Phil Murphy to probe the possibility of state or local aid for private bus carrier companies in an Aug. 7 letter. He wrote:

"I am writing to express my concern regarding a pressing matter which affects DeCamp, a six-generation private family business who has provided transportation services to northern New Jersey residents since 1870 … The residents of Montclair, Bloomfield, West Orange, and other surrounding communities in Essex County depend on the services of DeCamp. Without reliable commuter and charter transportation service companies, the quality of life for so many of our residents will be severely impacted in a negative fashion."

Gill continued:

"The CARES Act allocated 1.4 billion dollars to New Jersey to keep vital transportation services running. These federal funds have been accessed by NJ Transit and, thankfully, they have been able to continue providing their services. Unfortunately, private companies like DeCamp have not been able to access these same federal funds. The Bus Association of New Jersey has estimated that private operators account for about 35 percent of the scheduled bus service in the state, based on passenger miles."

DeCamp is still pushing for federal funds, but has been striking out. According to a statement from the company on Tuesday:

“We have requested a portion of the CARES Act funding received by NJ Transit and the state of New Jersey to permit us to operate appropriate service, but have been denied. We believe that the passengers of all commuter routes in the state of New Jersey that took part in the generation of the CARES Act funds and the state allocation from the federal government should receive the same level of service as passengers of NJ Transit, but that has not been the outcome of our multiple requests.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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