For Immediate Release:
July 1, 2011
Shorelink Shuttle kicks off for summer season
Bus service connects trains
to the beach and shopping for $1 per ride
BELMAR, NJ – Monmouth County and its transportation partners are making it easier for visitors arriving in Monmouth County by train to get to the beaches and downtown shopping areas. Today marks the kickoff the new EZ Ride Shorelink Shuttle bus service, which will provide the transportation link.
“The Shorelink Shuttle encourages people who live all along NJ Transit’s North Jersey Coastline to visit the Jersey Shore by train, knowing that once they arrive they will have transportation to the beaches and downtown shopping and dining areas,” said Freeholder Thomas A. Arnone, liaison to the county’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
The service, made possible by a grant from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), will operate Thursday through Sunday in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach and Belmar. The FTA is supplying 75 percent of the funding, with the towns kicking in the remaining 25 percent.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the county to partner with our shore municipalities to help bring tourism dollars into their towns,” said Jeanne DeYoung, director of the county’s Division of Tourism. “Not only does it connect visitors who come by train to the beaches, the service is available to anyone who wants a ride to the beach or do some downtown shopping or dining.”
The shuttle service will cost $1 per ride. Transportation partners involved in the shuttle include Meadowlink Transportation Management Association, which is providing E-Z Ride buses, NJ Transit and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Also involved in the project is the Monmouth County Planning Board, the county Tourism Division, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.
The Shorelink Shuttle will run from July 1 throughout the summer. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday to accommodate the dinner crowds.
“The Shorelink Shuttle will increase tourism in these four shore communities and help their businesses, which is something we all want to achieve,” Arnone said. “The more people use the shuttle the less traffic congestion there will be this summer in these busy towns.”
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