South Jersey’s seven counties cover about 3,124 square miles, much of it rural, and public transit service is sparse.

As of this week, six new bus routes are available — at no cost to riders — to help close transportation gaps in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Cumberland, Cape May, and Salem Counties.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) is operating the new regional service, called SJ Connects, which will serve employment centers, health campuses, educational institutions, healthcare campuses, retail destinations, and NJ Transit hubs. The service launched Monday. 

Business, health, and educational leaders and state legislators from South Jersey won a $5 million allocation to build the micro-transit system from former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration — essentially by complaining.

“It’s a story about how this region comes together to solve problems,” said Christina M. Renna, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey.

Murphy’s administration imposed a 2.5% corporate transit tax in 2024 to help stabilize NJ Transit, along with fare increases. South Jersey demanded a cut.

“South Jersey businesses paid in like everyone else did, but as we all know … we don’t have the same amount of access to NJ Transit services as our northern brethren,” Renna said.

“That’s [the] argument our chamber stood up and decided to make, and we made it pretty loudly,” she said.

It was another installment of the perpetual political struggle between North and South Jersey for state investments.

SJTA is operating a dozen new 20-passenger buses that are accessible to people with disabilities. There is enough funding to run the routes for 18 to 24 months, enabling the authority to gather evidence to make the case that SJ Connects should be continued, said Stephen Dougherty, executive director of the authority.

“In too many communities, especially in the southern portions of our region, reliable [public] transportation options simply do not exist,” Dougherty said.

Officials celebrated the launch of the bus network during an event at the Frank A. Farley Service Plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway. The authority runs the toll road, as well as Atlantic City International Airport.

Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D., Camden) and State Sen. Michael L. Testa Jr. (R., Cumberland) were instrumental in getting the funding through the legislature.

“All of the legislators who are here today have been fighting for South Jersey since they’ve been elected to office,” said Testa, who is from Vineland. “Guess what? We’re not like Washington. We actually work across the aisle on a regular basis.“

Robin Walton, senior vice president of Inspira Health, a major provider, said many patients live in poverty and transportation barriers keep them from accessing healthcare.

“We are going to work hard to prove to the state that this is a need that they cannot ignore in our state, because what it means is a greater quality of life,” Walton said.