Jersey City to launch on-demand bus service app

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Many residents in Jersey City don’t have a lot of good things to say about the city’s bus service, and Mayor Steven Fulop says that he’s been listening.

Now, the city is about to become the first city in the state to partner with the popular ride-sharing app Via to give residents a new way of getting around the city. 

Jersey City residents will be able to order a Via for the cost of a bus from Monday to Friday, from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., anywhere within the city limits.

“They will pick you up within several blocks of your home, it won’t be directly in front of your house but it will be two to three blocks away from your home,” said Fulop. “They will take you anywhere you want in Jersey City.”

At first, only 14 Via vehicles will operate in neighborhoods in Jersey City where there is not a lot of mass transit options. Fulop says that he hopes the partnership will improve congestion on the roads and give bus riders more ways to get to work.