To the Editor:
Cape May County, with its unspoiled beaches, historic character and frenzied summer resort tourism, is confronted with a stealthy issue that threatens to undermine its economic growth and destroy the visitor experience: the lack of a public transportation system. Even with high-strength attractions for residents as well as visitors alike, the failure of a viable transport system has the effect of leaving people in frustration and businesses struggling to reach their potential.
One of the clearest shortcomings is the absence of trains. The county has railroads on several routes, but passenger trains do not run here anymore. For years, the residents have been exclaiming about watching train tracks without the actual trains. With no rail service, Cape May will remain isolated from any of the kind of regional connections that will foster easier travel from people in Philadelphia, New York and other areas of New Jersey without automobiles.
Currently, the only legitimate public transport in Cape May County is by bus. Buses are relatively inexpensive compared to the alternative modes of transport, but overall buses are not very accommodating in frequency or provision of services. Some routes only have a few buses operating per day, which generally means residents wait extensive times, or need to time their day based on unreliable bus schedules.
For tourists, especially those without their own vehicles, some sites may take significantly longer to experience due to poor bus service. Families who want to visit the Cape May Lighthouse, check out Wildwood’s boardwalk and take in Ocean City all on the same trip can end up commuted to just one of these tourist attractions, missing an experience altogether. When buses have limited availability, the poor bus schedule has a cascading effect on residents’ commerce; Fewer visitors to attractions mean fewer customers visiting the local shopping, food and services.
When there are inadequate public transportation options available, many people turn to rideshare services like Uber or Lyft. While convenient, they do come at a price – especially when surge pricing takes effect during a busy summer season. For workers who rely on these services to get to their jobs, they can quickly eat up already modest wages. Tourists are also shocked how a reasonably short rideshare may cost considerably more than a trip to many other places with robust public transit options.
This dependency on rideshare services also causes inequity. Not everyone has the capacity to use Uber or Lyft consistently. For elderly people or those with fixed incomes, the inequity of having no affordable and accessible transportation options limits independence and the ability to travel to appointments at the hospital, grocery store or a community center.
Unlike many tourist-dense counties, Cape May isn’t as fortunate to have a good taxi system. While taxis may feel antiquated in our rideshare cultural context, taxis provide a great option for visitors who want to pay cash. Taxis are also great for visitors who are not adept with smartphones, and visitors who just need transportation right away when available. The lack of proper taxi chains creates one more hole in the county’s transportation system.
Cape May County is at a turning point. The allure of its beaches, boardwalks and historical significance will always help attract people, but the region’s ability to grow in the future could be impeded by not being able to grow public transportation options. Addressing this will require pressing state leaders, local leaders and transit groups to action.
Kamala Sarup
Court House
