Jump a Jitney, Keep Car Parked? Towns in Talks for Summer Runs

STONE HARBOR – Since its introduction in 2013, each summer seems to bring an expansion of jitney service to the island communities in Cape May County. 
An early implementation in Sea Isle City soon saw interest in expanding to take in Strathmere. Avalon and Stone Harbor joined efforts on Seven Mile Island to run jitney service as far south as the 96th Street business district. Explorations began for possible service in North Wildwood.
Exploratory talks are underway to potentially link jitney service from a northern terminus in Strathmere to North Wildwood. Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour briefed Stone Harbor Borough Council at its April 4 work session on those talks.
“Many things still need to be worked out,” Davies-Dunhour said, but “we are talking about it.”
The concept does not include uninterrupted service along the whole route. Passengers wanting to travel the entire distance would exit and reboard jitneys at four or five points along the way. 
The benefit is to those individuals who wish to travel between the participating shore communities on shorter segments of the route.
The jitneys, which at the busiest times in the summer run from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., would allow a visitor to Stone Harbor to go to night spots in North Wildwood or an Avalon resident to go over the bridge to dinner in Sea Isle or at restaurants in Strathmere.
Found a great parking spot in North Wildwood? You don’t have to lose it to go over to the movie theater in Stone Harbor. No need to risk that ticket coming home from a tavern.
Convenience, safety, and reasonable fares are the selling points. Thus far the service has been popular in the narrow boundaries where it operates. The expectation is that expansion would lead to greater use.
Among the many things that have to be worked on are the bridge tolls that have to fit into the fee model. Of concern as well is the seemingly all too common maintenance problems closing the bridges for long periods. An inspection recently found a crack in a pile on the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge closing it for an indefinite period while repairs are made.
For Stone Harbor, the proposed expansion of the jitney service promises many benefits. Davies-Dunhour noted that the current service only extends from Avalon to 96th Street.
“This would open up the entire south end of town,” she said. “I’m sure our residents would be delighted,” she added.
Stone Harbor also already benefits from an arrangement where Avalon carries the administrative load of the joint venture. Avalon does the screening of drivers including police background checks and fingerprinting and ensures that the drivers have a certificate from a doctor attesting to the fact that the driver has no impairments that would impact his/her driving.
Avalon does collect an $85 annual license fee from each driver to cover its administrative burden.
It is too early to tell if the jitney service will expand to connect the separate island communities any time soon. The service is popular, the communities can make it safe in cost effective ways, and there seems no downside to a broader audience for each community’s business owners.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.