NJ Transit Makes American Dream Expanded Bus Service Permanent

EAST RUTHEFORD, NJ – NJ Transit has approved the permanent expansion of bus service to American Dream in the Meadowlands.

On Wednesday, the agency’s board of directors voted to make permanent a piloted premium fare express bus service from New York City to the mall, as well as expanded service on a local bus route to include nights and weekends to American Dream.

In August, NJ Transit debuted daily express service from Port Authority Bus Terminal that runs every 30 minutes. A second bus, No. 356, runs daily from Secaucus Junction to American Dream every half hour.

To help provide transportation options for workers at the mega-mall, NJ Transit expanded operating hours on three routes, No. 85 (Hoboken/Union City to Secaucus), No. 703 (Paterson/Passaic to East Rutherford) and No. 772 (Hackensack to the Meadowlands) and includes stops at American Dream.

Following two public hearings and a review of the pilots, the routes were submitted to NJ Transit's board for review and approval.

American Dream Transit Options: By Land, Air & Sea

NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett said, "These routes will serve as an integral component of American Dream’s overall transportation plan as it fully opens and grows into a vital economic engine for the region."

He also said, “When combining these permanent and expanded routes with the significant potential we’re seeing from the NJ TRANSIT Innovation Challenge, I’m confident we’ll continue to effectively meet the expected travel demands to the Meadowlands and American Dream.”

See Also: NJ Transit Seeking Ideas For Transporting American Dream Shoppers

The express service from Manhattan costs $9 each way, while the expanded service on local lines is priced according to NJ Transit's existing fare zones.

Though there's a shuttle train from Secaucus Junction to MetLife Stadium, it is currently scheduled to run only for Giants and Jets home games or other major events.

With some of the country's most congested highways located in the Meadowlands, mall officials have been working to create options that'll get visitors out of their cars and on to mass transit.

Leading up to the grand opening, American Dream announced new service offerings from NJ Transit and NY Waterway to get people to the mall from New York City and the surrounding area.

NJ Transit also launched an "Innovation Challenge" to find ways to solve transportation issues surrounding the Meadowlands megamall, asking "innovators, experts and problem solvers" to come up with a way to "seamlessly and continuously" transport 20,000 people between American Dream and Secaucus Junction.

American Dream's owner, Triple Five, projects 110,000 people will visit the $5 billion retail and amusement complex daily. Between 30 and 40 million people are expected to visit within its first year of opening. There's also an estimated 17,000 employees the mall who need to find their way to work.

American Dream Opens: Here's What Everyone Saw

See More:A Look Inside Big SNOW Ski Park At American Dream

More: Take A Peek At American Dream's Huge Aquarium Concept

The mall opened on Oct. 25 and for now, Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, Big SNOW indoor ski park and an NHL-size ice rink are open to the public. This weekend, IT'SUGAR is scheduled to open the world's first candy department store at the mall.

Related: World's First Candy Department Store Opening Saturday At American Dream

DreamWorks Water Park, an indoor water park that will include the world's largest indoor water coaster, a free fall slide with a 70-foot drop, a lazy river and a 1.5-acre wave pool was supposed to open Nov. 27, but the mall recently announced it would be delayed until further notice.

Other attractions, shopping and dining will follow over the next several months at the $5 billion mall.