AFTER 30-YEAR ABSENCE, BUS SERVICE RETURNS TO ASBURY PARK BOARDWALK

Buses on 832 and 837 lines will operate along Ocean Avenue

June 25, 2009
NJT-09-060

ASBURY PARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Richard Sarles joined Asbury Park Mayor Kevin G. Sanders and other local officials today on Ocean Avenue to celebrate the return of beachfront bus service along the city’s boardwalk. 

NJ TRANSIT is resuming service along five central blocks of Asbury Park’s beachfront for the first time in about 30 years, which will help spur the city’s revitalization efforts and its reemergence as a Jersey Shore destination.

“We have worked cooperatively with local officials to make adjustments to existing service, geared to benefit business owners as well as our customers who now will have transit service right to Asbury Park’s boardwalk and its piece of the Jersey Shore, just as bus customers did when I was a boy,” Sarles said.

“We appreciate NJ TRANSIT’s responsiveness to our request for service along Ocean Avenue because convenient access to our beautiful boardwalk and beach helps us promote Asbury Park as a recreational destination,” said Mayor Sanders.  “The buses also will help us in our ongoing efforts to improve connections between our inland residential neighborhoods and the commercial and recreational areas closest to the shore.” 

Saturday marks the official launch of direct service along Ocean Avenue with adjustments to the 832 (Red Bank-Monmouth Mall-Asbury Park) and the 837 (Long Branch-Asbury Park-Seaview Square Mall) routes.  The buses will operate on Ocean Avenue between Asbury and Fifth avenues.

New bus stops have been marked with signs at Cookman and Asbury avenues and at Ocean and Fourth avenues.

The 832 operates approximately every 30 minutes during the day Monday-Saturday and hourly after 6 p.m.  It operates hourly on Sundays. The 837 operates with hourly service Monday-Saturday, with no Sunday service.

The 837 began operating along Ocean Avenue on an interim basis June 13, with the official launch of Ocean Avenue service for both routes on June 27, coinciding with systemwide bus schedule adjustments. 

Customers can pick up new timetables on their buses and at major transit hubs or view them online at www.njtransit.com.  Schedule and service information is also available by calling customer service at 973-275-5555.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.