Long Branch shuttle service

Long Branch – Monmouth County and its transportation partners are once again making it easier for visitors arriving in Monmouth County by train to get to the beaches, shopping and dining.
Last Thursday marked the 2012 kickoff of the Shore EZ Ride Jitney Shuttle bus service, which will provide the transportation link in four beachfront communities.
“The EZ Ride Jitney 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 the Department of Public Information and Tourism.
This is the first year the City of Long Branch has opted into the program. The service, made possible by a grant from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA), will operate Thursday through Sunday in Long Branch, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach.
The FTA is supplying 75 percent of the funding, with the towns kicking in the remaining 25 percent.
“This is a great opportunity for the county to partner with our shore municipalities to help bring tourism dollars into their towns,” said Jeanne DeYoung, the county’s tourism representative. “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 to 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 are the Monmouth County Planning Division, the county Department of Public Information and Tourism, and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
“The Shore EZ Ride Jitney 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.”
The Shore EZ Ride Jitney will run from now through Sept. 3. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday to accommodate the dinner crowds.
“This is going to work phenomenally well,” Mayor Schneider said. “Our beaches are going to be mobbed, and we need to get people in an out and move them around. As a matter of fact, I have a beach chair in the trunk of my car and I’m headed to the beach right now.”
There are two buses and three different schedules for the shuttle. Signs are posted throughout the city marking pickup and drop off spots for passengers. The route makes it easy for people to reach their destination for shopping, dining and Long Branch beaches, including Seven Presidents.
Buses leave the train station every 15 minutes and run between 9am to 11pm. They will be in service until Labor Day.
The two daytime routes run simultaneously with a slight variation in the route taken. The evening route also has a slight variation in stops and routes taken, but similar to the daytime routes.

Routes
1. Leaves Long Branch Train Station to Bath Ave. 2. Then to Ocean Ave. 3. Travels north on Ocean to Morris with stops at oceanfront beach entrances. 4. From Morris to Second and then south to Cedar with a stop at Brighton Ave. 5. Right on Cedar and a stop after right turn on Woodgate. 6. Right on Hollywood, left on Lenox to Brighton. 7. Brighton to Ocean Blvd and to Madison. 8. Right on Madison and left on McKinley St. 9. Right on Cooper then left on Ocean to Broadway. 10. Right on Broadway and left onto Third Ave. back to the train station.
Stops are Brighton Ave, West End Beach area, hotel area, McKinley and Madison, restaurant area, Lower Broadway and Third Avenue.
Evening route is simular with slight changes.
The Long Branch Jitney does not travel into other towns.