Highland Park council approves $200,000 to replace community shuttle bus

The Highland Park Borough Council adopted Ordinance 24‑2098 on a roll‑call vote to appropriate $200,000 for the purchase of a community shuttle bus, after a public hearing in which residents asked about capacity, accessibility and competing capital needs.

Council President Matthew Mersh, speaking as chair of public works/public utilities, framed the purchase as a response to the borough’s broken shuttle and a service residents rely on for shopping, medical appointments and other essential trips. During the public hearing a resident questioned spending on a bus while the borough faces aging water infrastructure; council and staff said the expenditure is manageable alongside capital needs.

The borough administrator told the council that the replacement vehicle under consideration would seat about "15 persons" and would be "ADA accessible" with a wheelchair lift. Councilmembers noted the current shuttle had broken down and stranded riders, prompting a need for prompt action.

Moved and seconded during the meeting, the ordinance carried following roll‑call votes in which councilmembers recorded affirmative responses. The council did not identify a specific funding source change at the hearing other than the appropriation authorized by the capital ordinance.

The ordinance is intended to restore a regularly scheduled transportation service used by elderly and disabled residents; council members said staff will continue to explore cost‑effective options, including potential shared‑service arrangements with neighboring municipalities, but that the borough must act now to replace the failed vehicle.

The council scheduled no additional public hearings on this item; the measure passed during the same meeting and will proceed to procurement and implementation steps handled by borough staff.