Saddle Brook residents press council over end of local senior bus and missing records

At Monday’s Township Council meeting, multiple residents and the senior-center director raised concerns about the town’s decision to discontinue its local senior bus service and rely on Bergen County transportation.

Denise Monastery, who said she submitted an Open Public Records Act request for senior-bus records covering Jan. 1, 2024, through May 22, 2026, told the council that the township provided only partial records (Aug. 6, 2025, through May 14, 2026). “When records needed to evaluate a public service are unavailable, there is a ripple effect because public trust can be eroded when information needed for accountability is incomplete or unavailable,” Monastery said.

Karen Arminio, the senior-center director, described the center’s new lunch program and said the county’s transportation service offers features the township bus could not, including aides and wheelchair-accessible ramps. “We can’t strap down the wheelchair,” she said of the town bus, noting county vehicles accommodate those needs.

Business Administrator Jimmy Holmes told the council the town’s full-time salary cost for the bus operator had been about $55,000, plus maintenance and operating expenses. Holmes said the county reported 285 Saddle Brook residents registered in its system and that the county’s program handles at least 500 rides annually in comparable towns. He said the township arranged for county shuttle service to run to the town picnic and that the county service was judged a better fit for accessibility and cost reasons.

Not all public remarks were critical: Juanita Hickman and others praised the long service of the former driver, Howie. John Vitovic, who said he had complained about the bus previously, told the council he was “glad to see him gone” after describing rules and behavior that upset riders.

Mayor [unnamed in transcript] and council members said the change followed an effort to reduce town costs while maintaining service through the county, and they pledged to improve outreach so isolated seniors know what transportation services are available. The Business Administrator acknowledged the missing OPRA records and said staff were looking into why some records could not be located.

The council did not vote on restoring a town-run bus during the meeting; officials said they will continue to monitor ridership and the county’s performance and provide targeted transportation for major town events as needed.