Teaneck—Even though, according to their online schedule, there are 123 NJ Transit buses from Teaneck to New York, in addition to a number of Jitney buses, one Bergenfield resident and commuter wants to start another bus line.

In an August 1st email to the Teaneck Shuls’ Yahoo group, David Wolf asked commuters a series of questions and requested their feedback. If he receives enough positive feedback, Wolf plans to bring the information he gathers to a local bus company in the hopes that they’ll provide the service the community wants. “We’ll just try to make everybody, if this happens, as comfortable as possible,” Wolf said.

To make things more comfortable, Wolf proposes that a new bus line pick up on a route other than Teaneck Road. Most of the Orthodox community, he said, lives between River and Windsor Road and the bus route should reflect that. Additionally, these buses would ideally drop off to a number of locations in the city and people could reserve seats so that they would not have to wait through multiple buses to find a seat. These comforts, however, may likely lead to additional costs.

Nevertheless, within 24 hours of sending out the survey, 45 people responded expressing interest in Wolf’s idea. As a group, these individuals were willing to pay $5 each way, 75 cents more than the NJTransit line, for a private bus. When a number of commuters waiting at local bus stops were asked about Wolf’s plan, they responded that their primary reason to ride a different bus line would only be if it were cheaper.

Wolf, who has lived in Bergenfield for 17 years and has had a number of issues with his commute, believes that the convenience and amenities of a private coach bus would outweigh the extra cost.

Full buses and the subsequent wait for a bus with seats is a major issue for Wolf and other commuters. At night, commuters may wait up to 45 minutes for a seat on a bus.

“I’ll be waiting on line in Port Authority and a bus will be full and a driver will just close the door and pull away,” Wolf, who wouldn’t mind standing on a bus, said. “The drivers are rude and inconsiderate. We’ll get drivers that will be much more sensitive.”

One idea Wolf had, where sensitivity would be imperativel is the idea of having minyanim on the bus, giving commuters the chance to “multitask.” Buses from towns such as Monsey, NY, already have davening on board, but they’ve had issues with people arguing with each other over seats and divisions on the bus. Though Wolf has yet to speak to a rabbi about this, the Jewish community, he said, is both more modern and tolerant than the community in Monsey. “I definitely would not do this to the exclusion of women or non-Jewish people either,” Wolf said. All groups on the bus should be respectful of the others, Wolf said. Perhaps, he suggested, there might be non-Jewish prayer services on sections of the buses.

His idea is still in the early stages but “there’s definitely a lot of interest.”Right now that interest is diversified in terms of people’s locations and people’s times that they want to leave in the morning.

William Smith, a representative from NJTransit, had no comment on the possibility of a new privately run commuter bus from Teaneck to New York.

By Aliza Chasan