(Asbury Park, NJ.) — The city of Asbury Park launched a free ADA-compliant shuttle service on Fri., Aug. 28, at 1 p.m., funded by the State of New Jersey Legislature.
The 32-seat wheelchair-lift-equipped bus is available Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Memorial Day through the end of September. This service is for all residents and visitors of Asbury Park regardless of where they are visiting.
“This shuttle connects our neighborhoods and makes it easy to get around Asbury Park without worrying about parking,” Mayor John Moor said in the city’s press release.
The fixed route picks up from City Hall all around the waterfront, then back up to Comstock Court (Photo Credits: City of Asbury Park)
The seasonal shuttle will run on a fixed route with pickup stops at City Hall, Springwood Park, Press Plaza, The Stone Pony, Convention Hall, Asbury Towers, Deal Lake Drive, Main Street, Dr. Robinson Towers, Lumley Homes and Comstock Court, as depicted in the map above.
According to Director of Transportation James Bonanno, the shuttle, originally for senior center trips, can help with safety.
“The city is always looking for ways to improve transportation throughout the city for all,” Bonanno said. “This service is the city’s newest initiative to do just that. Thanks to the State Legislature and NJ TRANSIT, the City is getting an opportunity to try something new.”
This shuttle will traffic congestion, lessen parking concerns, and move people between business areas, he added.
The free Asbury Park shuttle launched on Fri., Aug. 28,. (Photo Credits: city of Asbury Park)
“Residents can leave the car at home, and visitors can take the train or bus, park once, and enjoy everything our city has to offer,” Moor said, adding “I want to thank the State of New Jersey for making this possible.”
The city encouraged visitors to use free public transportation to ease congestion on busy streets while continuing to welcome travelers.
“This shuttle gives residents another way to get where they need to go and helps bring more visitors into Asbury Park,” said Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, in the city announcement. “I want to thank Senator Gopal for championing this initiative, and Director of Transportation James Bonanno and the entire Transportation Department for their work getting this service off the ground,” Quinn added.
According to Bonanno, there is one shuttle and one directional service. He also stated at the July 22 city council meeting that no riders should be stuck waiting too long at a stop.
Shuttle stops will be marked with signs, with an emphasis on clarity for seniors. (Photo Credits: Asbury Park Chamber)
“If someone is at the stop, it is easy for the bus driver to acknowledge, to see, to stop and pick them up,” Bonanno said.
The department is also working to make the shuttle a service that riders can hail while walking along the roughly 25-minute designated route.
“We are going to have a little complication with some Fridays,” Bonanno said, explaining that the shuttle is also used for trips to the senior center. “We may have to work around that and find an alternate solution for I think three days of the next two months.”
The city expects to operate the service with the funding provided, along with materials and supplies it already has available.
“This is a good way to kind of get people moving around town that might have difficulties getting around in other ways,” Bonanno said, adding the shuttle is equipped with a wheelchair lift, making the service accessible to riders with mobility needs.
“There is no one population targeted by this service,” Bonanno said.
The route is designed to serve a broad cross-section of the city, traveling through several business districts and major residential areas, including Deal Lake Drive and Asbury Park’s west side. It also includes stops at three housing authority buildings and the city’s senior center.
Santina Muha, a New Jersey and Los Angeles actress, writer, speaker, and disability advocate who describes herself on Instagram as “your hot friend in a wheelchair,” said accessibility remains a persistent issue in the city.
“There's still a huge lack of wheelchair accessibility in town,” said Muha, noting that she previously had to push for a longer access mat at the beach.
Broken and uneven sidewalks are another recurring safety concern for wheelchair users, she said. Muha also questioned the city's development priorities, arguing that accessibility improvements should accompany new construction.
“I wish they would work on making the city more accessible before adding more condos, some of which are not even accessible, but some are,” said Muha.
Muha said advocating for accessibility improvements can sometimes take years, making it particularly important for new programs and services to incorporate accessibility from the beginning rather than trying to retrofit them later.
“A lot of the free transportation in town is not accessible, so I am happy that they have incorporated it in this new endeavor,” said Muha. “I would use the shuttle for sure.”
During the July 22 city council meeting when the shuttle was announced, Laura Pascal, resident of Asbury Park, spoke about her concerns as a handicap placard user who struggles finding parking.
“I've been living here and I really enjoy the residential neighborhood and visiting all the shops in the area, but it is very difficult for me to decide my livelihood about buying groceries and having parking,” said Pascal. “But I do love that shuttle service idea.”
She followed up asking if passengers can bring beach chairs and other bags with them on that shuttle service, to which Bonanno replied, “Yes, you can.”
Locals weighed in on the new shuttle and route map on @thisweekinasbury’s Instagram post announcing the shuttle.
@wolfeandkronbooks, the LGBTQ+ independent bookstore on 5th and Memorial Ave on Instagram, said, “...Nice that at least it extends all the way to Uptown, but the route completely skips @georgiesbarap, @mutinybbq,@milksugarlovenj, @booskerdoo, Ada's Gojo, Carla Gizzi, and never mind @catbird_ap but there are three stops within a block of each other on Third? What are we not understanding here...?”
@wolfeandkronbooks then replied to their comment, “... and what direction does the shuttle travel in? Cause if it's not going both directions this is WAY too long of a loop, and should have been split into two.”
Another account, @its_all_fein_ said, “How much does it cost the taxpayers? Just curious, I know that the state contributed something towards the purchase but we will be responsible to pay for it. Maybe the developers could contribute something towards it? In lieu of taxes....?”
@its_all_fein_ added, “And the ongoing maintenance? Driver and fuel? It's the point - taxes through the roof and we add more tax burden to the taxpayers. Just curious why they added a new line item to our burden.”
The state-funded shuttle makes three stops on Third Ave., appearing in the above map from the city. This map today was not the first map that appeared to the public. During the pilot presentation at the last council meeting, the map was missing the west side completely, not crossing the train tracks.
Asbury Park is separated by the North Jersey Coast Line Rail Route between Memorial Dr. and Main St. (Photo Credits: Google Maps)
Unanimously approved at the July 22 City Council Meeting, Bonanno presented the plan using the above map, which does not include the west side shuttle stop. (Photo Credits: Asbury Park City Council Meeting APTV)
Opgov.News requested access to the full city council presentation, but did not receive it.
When asked if the shuttles would be safe, Bonanno replied, “All shuttle drivers are in possession of Commercial Driver’s Licenses with endorsements to transport passengers and have years of experience driving large school buses, according to Bonanno, who said the bus is first come first serve.”
The bus will be on a first come first serve basis, making it possible for the 32-seat bus to fill up on a busy weekend night.
“We will not be able to accept passengers if all seats are full,” Bonanno said, who clarified that this service is being launched as a pilot.
“Ridership data and survey feedback will be collected to determine the service’s success and what expansions of service should be considered in the future,” Bonanno said.
For more information about the Asbury Park Free Shuttle, visit www.cityofasburypark.com/shuttle.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please get in touch with me at angelica.n@lead4earth.org.
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