Princeton council directs staff to proceed with RFP for 12‑month bus pilot after TELUS presentation

TELUS consultants on Oct. 8 presented a feasibility and implementation plan for a new limited‑stop bus route linking the Dinky stop, Nassau Street and the Princeton Shopping Center, and the Princeton Council directed staff to issue a request for proposals to run a 12‑month pilot.

The proposal, presented by TELUS advisors Matt Thomas and George Piper, would run Monday–Saturday roughly 6 a.m.–9 p.m. on about 45‑minute frequencies and use existing bus stops to provide faster connections for commuters, students and residents who want to travel within town without a car. “It’s a relatively long route. It has a large number of stops, but it serves a very important community,” Thomas said of the current local route; the new service was described as an “express” alternative with fewer stops.

Council members and staff framed the pilot as a data collection exercise to establish ridership patterns and cost‑per‑ride metrics ahead of any permanent change. TELUS recommended a 12‑month pilot to capture seasonality and university‑town patterns and estimated the one‑year cost in the ballpark of $400,000, based on prior bids and current contract rates. The consultants proposed a formal evaluation in October following the pilot to review ridership, cost per ride, rider demographics and user feedback.

TELUS identified non‑tax revenues that could support a pilot, including voluntary university payments, developer agreements and parking revenues; consultants said about $1.1 million is on hand from such sources and roughly $1.2 million more is committed, though those funds are intended to support multiple initiatives. The consultants also said existing GPS/transponder tracking should be required in the contract and that vendors should feed schedules to the agencies and apps (TripShot/Google) used by riders.

Council members asked how the pilot would be measured against current service. Thomas said the existing route averages about 90 boardings per day and a cost per ride slightly under $13; the new route would be judged on whether it increases boardings and lowers cost per ride. Council members also raised implementation questions including vehicle type and electric‑bus procurement. Staff said about $480,000 of municipal funds are encumbered in a purchase order for EV buses; roughly $380,000 of that would be reimbursed by an RGGI grant after purchase. If the EVs are not procured, the RGGI portion would not be available, the presentation said, and delivery timelines are currently mid‑next year.

After questions and discussion about branding, signage, reliability measures (contract penalties for early departures), and digital rider information, the council signaled support to proceed. “Do we have, go ahead then. We'll go ahead with the RFP,” a council member said, and staff signaled they will prepare the RFP and return with additional implementation details.

Staff and the consultants identified next steps including drafting the RFP with GPS and performance metrics, conducting outreach and branding to increase awareness, and procuring signage and schedule updates if a vendor is selected. The council did not adopt any ordinance or appropriate new recurring funding at the meeting; continuation of the route beyond a pilot was described as contingent on pilot success and an identified ongoing funding source.

The council discussion also flagged risks: EV vehicle supply uncertainty, dependency on non‑tax revenues committed for multiple uses, and the need for a vendor contract that enforces departure and arrival reliability. The consultants recommended pulse checks during the pilot and a formal evaluation in October after 12 months.

The council discussion and direction followed a work session presentation; no formal vote on an appropriation or contract award occurred at this meeting.