Ocean County has received a $1.7 million grant from NJ Transit for its county transportation program, Ocean Ride, the Board of Freeholders announced Wednesday.
The grant, an annual allocation based on the state's casino revenue program and the number of seniors in the county, reflects an 11 percent decrease in funding from the state over the 2012 grant, Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little said.
State funding for the program, which has been in existence since 1977, is down about 40 percent since 2009, said Dave Fitzgerald, of the county's transportation department. Fifty percent of the funding, however, comes from the county's taxpayers.
Ocean Ride provides transportation throughout the county in the form of regular bus routes, as well as its direct service "Reserve-A-Ride" program for senior citizens and those with disabilities to medical appointments. It also provides transportation for veterans needing treatment at Veterans Administration clinics and for disabled citizens needing assistance getting to and from employment.
In 2011, Ocean Ride recorded 349,463 passenger trips and covered 1.3 million miles of travel, Little said. That is despite a consolidation of routes from 17 to 12, and a reduction in the number of drivers, from 77 to 67.
"There have been no layoffs," Little said. "We just haven't filled openings as people retired."
"We are continuing to provide core services," he said.
To make up some of the lost funding, the county instituted fares to use the system. Senior citizens and those with disabilities pay 50 cents per trip, while the general public pays $1.50.
Some towns receive limited service -- Barnegat, for example, has a Friday "Shoppers Loop" route that provides transportation to Genuardi's, Bay Shore Plaza, the post office, the Barnegat branch of the county library, and to ShopRite in Waretown, primarily for seniors and those with disabilities -- but there are several routes that run five days a week and provide access to important services at county offices in Toms River.
Information on using Ocean Ride and the system's bus routes can be accessed through the county's website, here. A brochure on the system is attached to this story. Maps of the county's routes are available as PDFs on the county's Route Information page. Click on the colored boxes on that page to access the PDFs.
But honestly need to have more services for the working people.. There needs to be more buses for people to get to local jobs.... with less & less income , some people just cant afford cars, gas & NJ auto insurance... without a car your VERY limited to where & even when you can work. creating to someone to take a lower paying job, thus taking even longer to get a there own way around.
I suppose it's easy for some people who don't rely on this service to be critical of it in one way or another. But if I may speak for those of us who very much rely on it, our gratitude to OceanRide and all of the fine people who run it is immeasurable.
Yes BUT you have the services avlb to you, as Inconvince it may be for you YOU have it... People are trying to survive, feed families, & just trying to pay their bills, This seems to be age discrimation, All Brick Rest. who pay Taxes should be allowed to use the service, just like The seniors Complain about school taxes that they NEVER vote for the school budget for & then wonder why the teenagers are come out of HS NOT educated, & not Ready for the workforce... Working class parents are paying for that service for you, & Are not allowed to use it?? NOT right.. If someone Needs a ride to work Wouldnt you rather then get a rideto work then you getting a ride to A&P then bonton then Applebees for lunch ( meanwhile people are stuggling) IF you can be on your " fixed" income & spend your afternoon like that ... get a personal driver & let people that NEED rides get them
I'm not sure if you really know what or who you're mad at. You sound angry. Are you?
Kinda right about what Brickmom said.. I have been out of work ( full time work) can only find temp or part time work, Iam a mother of 3 & its much harder on us( & Iam one of the lucky ones my husband gets paid fairly well & I can still find SOME work) then for MOST seniors... IT is very annoying that they get ALMOST a free ride that WE all are paying for, I see the bus loads of seniors get dropped off at all the shopping plaza & thats True, they go to Kohls ( spending $$) then Manhattan Bagel for lunch & then there 2 hr trip to shoprite ( BTW Dont get in their way, BUT they will stop right in the middle of the isle & NOt give a Crap about anyone else we all dont have 2 hrs to spare in the middle of the day) They also do the drop off at A& P spending $$ in Bonton Then yes demanding their senior discount lunch at applebees leaving a 1$ tip to someone like they are doing someone a favor,,, TOTALLY agree that it VERY MUCH is age discrimination... & anyone that is out during the day dealing with these seniors sure could make someone angry.. but whats the better of the 2 evils having them Drive... thats even worse!
Ladies, I'm not your whipping boy. I pay a lot more then my share in property taxes. And there is a whole lot more to OceanRide then Senior trips to quickie-mart. A large part of what they do is trips for dialysis. But thanks for sharing your opinions.
I See more of the buses going shopping then anywhere else... Agree BUT better then them ALL driving
and learn more about it. I am fortunate to still be somewhat ambulatory, and so I mostly rely on the "fixed" routes. The Brick Link, for example, travels back and forth between Point Pleasant Train Station and Lakewood Bus Station a couple times in the morning and afternoon each weekday. Lucikly for me it loops through Herbertsville on its way. It enters no shopping centers, but will stop along the highway (where safety permits) to let riders on and off. It is available to anyone for a very reasonable fare.
The reserve a ride makes sense BUT use small vans - sell the buses, and eliminate a lot of positions, including the director.