|
New Monmouth Shuttle Bus Will Expand Commuter Ferry Service
 | | A new shuttle service should make life easier for Monmouth County commuters. |
|
FREEHOLD - Getting to the ferry just got easier. Middletown officials join the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders to announce the new Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus that provides a link between the Middletown Train Station and the Bayshore Ferry Terminal.
The new service provides an important connection to the ferry, allowing commuters who ride the North Jersey Coast Line an opportunity to exit the train in Middletown and board a free bus that will take them to the Bayshore Ferry Terminal in Belford. The shuttle bus will serve restaurants, shopping and employment opportunities in Middletown and Holmdel.
"Many of our residents face long daily commutes to jobs in New York City from their homes in Monmouth County," freeholder Robert D. Clifton said. "Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus is an innovative new service that continues the county's commitment to improving transportation that will better the quality of life for our residents and is the product of a partnership between the county, local towns and the private sector to find creative solutions to a common problem."
"Partnering with Monmouth County to provide the Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus has allowed Middletown to significantly expand the scope of the existing commuter shuttle to provide reliable transportation to many more destinations and give commuters, shoppers and employers working at area businesses reliable alternatives to personal vehicles and taxi cabs," Mayor Gerard P. Scharfenberger said. "We hope the Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus will be especially useful for residents who sometimes have limited transportation options, including senior citizens and teenagers."
Serving most ferry departures and arrivals, the 15-minute shuttle bus will connect with selected NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line trains for a seamless ride from Monmouth County's coastal towns to Lower Manhattan each weekday between 5:25 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.
For non-commuters, a second Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus connection will serve restaurants, shopping and employment opportunities along Route 35 in Middletown and Holmdel townships between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., freeing riders from their cars and congested roadways. Information including shuttle schedules can be found at www.dockandrollshuttle.com.
The Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus was developed and funded through a unique partnership between the Monmouth County Planning Board and Middletown Township. It was developed by the county planning board as part of a federally sponsored transportation planning study to evaluate the potential for feeder bus shuttles to train stations in Monmouth County. A service design was created in which the county and town would share in the operations of the service.
The project was brought to fruition through efforts by the county planning board to successfully secure a competitive federal job access and reverse commute grant funding, by the township. This was accomplished by using funds already allocated to its current train station shuttle and by the Monmouth County Division of Transportation, which has contracted for and will manage the county portion of the service. The township's commuter shuttle only ran between the Middletown Train Station and a satellite parking lot at Sears on Route 35.
Additional support has been provided by NY Waterway, which operates the ferry service out of Belford and Meadowlink, a transportation management association which is sponsoring the advertising and marketing support elements of the service. Also involved were the county's division of engineering and the county's administrative services director.
"The Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus is a unique way to increase ridership on the ferry, while at the same time decreasing the need for additional parking and congestion on roads leading to the ferry," Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow said. "The best part is it will be free and available to all riders."
"This versatile service will add parking opportunities for the train and ferry in Middletown, enable riders to use the train or ferry interchangeably yet still return to their car parked at either terminal and even provide ferry customers with an option to use NJ Transit North Jersey Coast Line train service to Middletown to get to the ferry without their automobile," Deputy Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said.
"The Dock and sign Roll Shuttle Bus is a
major component of the township's Green
Initiative," Mayor Scharfenberger said. "The township hopes that with several hundred
people utilizing a single vehicle rather than personal vehicles, we can significantly cut down on traffic, congestion and auto emissions. Less reliance on automobiles by the traveling public will hopefully lead to reduced energy costs and the conservation of natural resources."
The township's Green Initiative is a working document adopted by the township committee and includes a host of proposed energy saving proposals aimed at saving the township money, helping to preserve the environment and helping to decrease our dependency on foreign oil.
The preceding story was a press release provided by the Monmouth County Department of Public Information.
| 
)