Rutgers Bus Simulator

Welcome to the Rutgers Bus Simulator! This program provides a realistic, GUI-based experience of riding the bus system at Rutgers-New Brunswick.

I. Routes Guide

The Rutgers bus system is known for being daunting for first time users, so this is a quick guide. Rutgers-NB is divided into 4 campuses: Cook/Douglass, College Avenue, Busch, and Livingston. Additionally, there is a Downtown area in New Brunswick between Cook/Douglass and College Ave with a scattering of university buildings. To access all of these areas, Rutgers provides 9 bus lines:

A: College Ave > Busch

B: Busch > Livingston

C: Busch

EE: College Ave > Downtown > Cook/Douglass > Downtown (reverse)

F: College Ave > Cook/Douglass

H: College Ave > Busch (reverse)

LX: College Ave > Livingston

REXB: Busch > Cook/Douglass

REXL: Livingston > Cook/Douglass

It should also be noted that even though a bus route may reach a certain campus, it does not necessarily reach every stop on that campus. For example, the REXB visits just 2 out of 12 possible stops on Busch before returning to Cook/Douglass.

The best way to get comfortable with the bus system is to explore as much of each campus as you can! Additionally, a minimalist map (map.jpg) is provided and offers real-time updates to guide the user across each campus.

II. User Notes

• The user starts at the Busch Student Center on Busch Campus. From here, s/he can board the A, B, and H buses to begin.
• The simulation begins at 7 AM and moves at a 5:1 time scale (1 simulation minute = 12 real-life seconds).
• The arrivals display shows the closest bus on each route that visits the stop currently occupied by the user. If a certain route isn't shown, that stop is not serviced by that route.

III. Possible Updates

• Sort the arrivals displays such that the buses with the least time remaining are shown first.
• Add functionality to adjust the starting time and location.
• Add functionality to cross the street when appropriate. For example, the Busch Suites and Davidson Hall stops on Busch face each other in real life but are not directly accessible in this simulation.
• Add a pause button.