Ocean County submits required transit plan

Ocean County officials have submitted a human services transportation plan that is now a requirement for continued state and federal funding of the county's Ocean Ride services.

The new plan, which was submitted prior to the federal deadline of June 15, includes data on the county's population, an assessment of available public transportation and self-assessment of the county's transportation services, according to a press release.

"This is a very comprehensive document that outlines all aspects of public transportation within Ocean County," Freeholder Gerry P. Little said. "It has been 30 years since the county began its Ocean Ride system and each year the system continues to attract more passengers."

Little said a diverse group of professionals began meeting in January as the first step in publishing the transportation coordination plan.

The committee included representatives from employment services, senior services, veterans services, the Ocean County Board of Social Services, persons with disabilities advocates and transportation officials.

The report was presented to New Jersey Transit last week.

Little said if the plan had not been filed, the $2.8 million the county receives each year from the state and federal governments for transportation services could have been in jeopardy.

Among the highlights is an overview of the department's new computerized system for routing, scheduling and dispatch, which went online this month.

With the new system, a passenger's address, destination and other information will be fed directly into computers. The computers will then devise times and routes using digitized street maps of the county.

The computer system will compare patterns, route networks and even speed limits to schedule the needed transportation routes.

Freeholder Director John P. Kelly said Ocean Ride began when the county stepped in to provide services that the state would not.

"Thirty years ago, much like today, the county lacked the kind of public transportation common in northern New Jersey," Kelly said. "The Board of Freeholders had the vision to say if the state won't give our residents the transportation service they need, then the county will."

The routes travel through most areas of the county, linking many residential neighborhoods with commercial and medical areas.

Specialized routes connect the barrier islands with the mainland. Buses also stop at major commercial regional shopping centers.

Ocean Ride also provides a specific service missing from most other major transportation networks: door-to-door pick-up.

Tailored for senior citizens, the disabled and others needing transportation to medical offices, the Reserve-A-Ride program allows residents to call ahead for a bus that will pick them up at their door and deliver them right to their destination.

Ocean Ride also provides door-to-door service for dialysis patients.

Ocean Ride's fixed bus routes, Reserve-a-Ride and dialysis services logged more than 410,000 passenger trips in 2006, an 8 percent increase compared to 2005, Little said.

More information on Ocean Ride is available by choosing "transportation" from the list of departments on the Ocean County home page at www.co.ocean.nj.us.