Mayor Suggests Ferry Service during TI Bridge Closure

SEA ISLE CITY – There was no shortage of frustration, unanswered questions and concern among residents and visitors alike due to the Townsend’s Inlet Bridge closure for maintenance, which will stretch past the summer season (see related release at http://bit.ly/2PvUGnj).
Mayor Leonard Desiderio shared April 23 that he was working on an initiative that could soften the effects of the bridge closure during the busy summer months. Desiderio is vice director of freeholders.
“The T.I. Bridge not operating is detrimental to our communities in both Sea Isle and Avalon. It’s a real headache and I’ve been thinking of ways to ease the burden and maybe come up with a fun way to address the issue,” said Desiderio.
“The idea is to have a ferry or boat service that would dock between the north end of Sea Isle and the south end of Avalon. Jitneys would be waiting on each side to take passengers to whatever destination they would like.
“I’ve talked to the jitney association and they are supportive. Avalon also believes it is an interesting initiative. I’ll be working on this and for any updates will get the word out through our Sea Isle website,” he continued.
During public comment, John Divney, a Sea Isle resident and former council member, said, “I want to stress what we all know how important this bridge is to our communities and especially in the summer with so many visitors. For us to hear about yet another delay, and this time ‘late summer’ with no specifics, is not acceptable.
“City administration and council need to ask what are the real reasons for the delay and really figure out with county freeholders and with the (Cape May County) Bridge Commission what went wrong and what’s going on. Citizens, residents, and tourists all need to know what’s happening and Sea Isle must publish this information.”
A resident living in the south end of Sea Isle near Townsend’s Inlet said, “We all say in the event of a fire – and we understand these are happening far too often – fire engines from Avalon will come to help. But that’s not a given now.
“And what about ambulances and medical assistance if someone is ill? It seems the bridge commission never meets a deadline. They just found out? That is hard to believe, and we need to hold them accountable with monetary penalties if possible.”
Council President Jack Gibson gave assurances that Sea Isle was pressing those responsible for the bridge closure, its maintenance, repairs, and specifics about the associated timetable for re-opening and full details about the recent delay.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.