Burlington County will gain its first SJ Connects shuttle route beginning September 21, according to Burlington County's official news release, after local, state, and county leaders gathered Sunday for a ride-along preview of the new free service.

The route runs between the Pennsauken Transit Center and Twosome Drive at Church Street in Moorestown, covering 11 stops along the way.

The shuttle is operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) as part of its SJ Connects regional transportation initiative. Service is free to riders.

The event also drew participation from the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) and Cooper University Health Care, whose Moorestown Mall campus serves as both a starting and ending point for the route.

Who Rode and Who Sponsored the Route

Senator Troy Singleton, who sponsored the legislation extending Burlington County into the SJTA's charter, joined Assemblyman Balvir Singh, Burlington County Commissioner Randy Brolo, and executives from the SJTA, CCSNJ, and Cooper University Health Care for the ride-along.

A press availability followed at Cooper's Moorestown Mall campus at 400 NJ-38.

Stephen Dougherty, Executive Director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority, said the expansion gives residents a concrete new option for reaching work, medical appointments, schools, and other everyday destinations.

He described the Burlington County launch as a pilot and said the immediate priority is building public awareness of the service.

The Transportation Gap the Route Addresses

Commissioner Brolo pointed to U.S. Census Bureau estimates showing more than 7,000 Burlington County households own no vehicle at all, and that one in three county households have only one.

Burlington County is New Jersey's largest county by land area, which Brolo said makes transportation access one of the county's most persistent challenges.

Christina Renna, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, said the partnership across government, business, and health care sectors reflects how transportation connects directly to economic opportunity.

When residents can reach employers, clinics, and schools more easily, she said, the whole region sees the benefit.

Health Care Access as a Core Purpose

Anthony Welch, Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer at Cooper University Health Care, said access to care begins with the ability to get to a facility.

Cooper's Moorestown campus anchors one end of the route, and Welch said the shuttle will help both patients and employees reach the site.

The njsendems.org advisory for the event also identified the Moorestown Library and Fox Meadow Apartments as additional stops along the 11-stop corridor.

What Riders Can Expect on Sept. 21

The Burlington County route joins an existing SJ Connects network that fills gaps in South Jersey's transit coverage by linking residents to employment centers, retail outlets, schools, and health care providers.

The service begins one week after Sunday's ride-along event. Riders board at no cost.

Burlington County's large geography and high share of car-dependent households make the route especially useful to communities beyond the reach of existing NJ Transit services.

For residents without a vehicle, a new county route underscores how central transit options are to daily mobility across the region.