Introduction                                     Back

This chapter represents Task 3 in the New Jersey Statewide County Transportation Planning project. Task 2 of the project was an inventory of existing services and facilities in Monmouth County, along with a demographic overview of WFNJ participants, other transit-dependent groups, employers, child care facilities, training centers and other key destinations.

For Task 3, the data collected in Task 2 was supplemented with information obtained from surveys of WFNJ participants, meetings with agency staff, and focus groups with employers and program participants. This information was analyzed to identify and quantify the transportation needs of the WFNJ population along with other transit dependent groups in Monmouth County.

For the WFNJ participants, quantifying transportation needs involved: 1) calculating the approximate number of trips clients will need to make between home and training and other work-related activities, employment, and child care facilities; and 2) estimating the number of trips that could be served by private automobiles, existing fixed route bus service and other modes of transportation. Trip estimates were developed for the current year and for the next two years. In order to develop these estimates, the geographic location of trip origins and destinations, the days and hours during which trips could reasonably be expected to occur, the access to private automobiles among the WFNJ population, and the existing fixed route bus services were all considered. Information collected in Task 2, the results of the client intake survey, and the inputs from discussions with the project Steering Committee and other representatives of state and county agencies and from the WFNJ committee meetings were used to develop the trip estimates.

For other transit dependent groups -- seniors, persons with disabilities, human service agency clients, and low income residents -- the transportation needs were identified based on the demographic data and transportation survey results obtained during Task 2 and the input from the stakeholder meetings. The needs identified address service areas and service hours.

Based on the projected transportation needs for the WFNJ participants and the other transit dependent groups, the overall transportation needs and gaps in Monmouth County were identified. The transportation gaps are defined as the needs that are not being met by the current transportation systems. Alternative solutions to meet the needs are reported in Chapter 4, and further detail about implementation strategies is reported in Chapter 5.

The trip estimates developed and the transportation needs and gaps identified are presented in this chapter. Section 3.2 addresses the transportation needs of the WFNJ participants. Section 3.3 addresses the transportation needs of other transit dependent groups. In Section 3.4, the overall transportation needs and gaps in Monmouth County are summarized.

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The transportation needs of the WFNJ participants in Monmouth County are discussed in this section. The number of clients, their locations, their available transportation alternatives, and their child care transportation needs are discussed in sub-section 1-1. Employment and support services destinations, work hours, and their accessibility by public transit are presented in the second and third sections. Projected number of total trips and mode splits are discussed in the fourth and fifth sections.

• 1194 employed (cased closed);
• 698 employed (still receiving assistance);
• 236 participating in CWEP Programs;
• 335 participating in Other Training Programs; and
• 184 participating in Job Search activities

Information on the home addresses of likely WFNJ participants was collected as part of the inventory in Task 2. In general, municipalities with the highest concentration of potential WFNJ participants included: Asbury Park, Long Branch, Keansburg, Keyport, Red Bank, and Belmar. There are WFNJ participants in lesser concentrations throughout Howell and Middletown Townships, and in Freehold and Neptune Boroughs.

Transportation Alternatives                            Back

Information on the transportation alternatives available to WFNJ participants in Monmouth County was obtained from surveys conducted in March and April 1998 by the Department of Human Services. The survey questions addressed automobile ownership (including operating condition and insurance), access to a private auto, access to public transit, and need for child care transportation. The Monmouth County survey instruments and results are presented in Appendix D of this report. Additional information on the accessibility of public transit was also obtained from the analysis conducted by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers.

The responses obtained from survey questions on auto ownership indicate that:

• 31% own an automobile that is in working order and insured;
• 15% do not own, but have access to an automobile for work or training; and
• 54% do not have access to an automobile.

The survey also assessed the accessibility of public transportation by asking the recipients if they had access to a bus route. The survey responses indicate that 76% of the recipients have access to a bus route. The analysis on transit accessibility conducted by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy used geocoded addresses for WFNJ recipients and NJ Transit route maps to identify the percentage of recipients living within a 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 mile buffers from transit routes. The results of the geocoding indicate that 68% of the clients live within 1/4 mile of a transit route and 88% live within 1/2 mile of a transit route. Since the survey results are within the range of the results obtained from the geocoding analysis, the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy results were used to estimate the percentage of clients live within a 1/4 mile from public transit.

Child Care Transportation Needs                            Back

The child care transportation needs of the WFNJ recipients were also addressed in focus group meetings. Participants were asked if transportation for child care would be a necessity for participants either working or in work-related activities. The responses obtained indicate that:

• 27% do not need (or already have) child care transportation;
• 43% need transportation for child care;
• 20% do not know.

Based on these results, it was assumed that all of those who expressed a need, and half of those who did not know would need child care transportation. This resulted in an estimate that 53% of the participants would need transportation to child care.

• Employment
• CWEP/Other Training
• Job Search
• Child Care

The following sections discuss the methodology used to estimate trips by activity and to allocate work and job search trips to the region. Estimates of weekly trip demand in 1998, 1999, and 2000 are also presented.

Trips by Activity                            Back

The trip estimates for each activity begin with an assumed typical number of one-way trips that would be required by a WFNJ participant in that activity. Participants who are employed (either "closed" or "open") are assumed to be required to make five round-trips (10 one-way trips) each week. Recipients participating in CWEP and other training were combined because many may be participating in both in order to meet the minimum number of hours of work related activities. It was estimated that between CWEP and other training, participants would be making 4-5 round-trips per week (9 one-way trips). For job related activities, one round-trip (2 one-way trips) a week were estimated.

The total weekly trips for work, CWEP/other training, and job search were then calculated by multiplying the estimated trips per participant per week by the number of participants in each activity. The weekly CWEP/other training trips were estimated by combining both groups and then multiplying the total by 9 trips per week.

The child care trip estimates were more complicated because of the need to account for trips to more than one child care facility for those recipients with more that one dependent child. In an effort to account for multiple child care destinations, a "Child Care Trip Factor for Other Children Going to Different Locations" was developed. Based on Department of Human Services-Division of Family Development statistics on total WFNJ adults and children in Monmouth County for January 1998, a ratio of 2.3 children per adult recipient was developed. It was then estimated that about one third of the additional dependents would be either going to a different location (2/3 would either not require day care or would be going to the same location as the first child). This resulted in a trip rate of approximately 1.3 trips for every participant trip (for participants who require child care transportation). Applying both the percentage of participants indicating the need for child care transportation and the child care trip rate factor to the total trips in the work, CWEP, and job training trips categories produced the estimated total child care trips. It was assumed that occasional job search trips would not require on-going child care transportation. 

Regional Work and Job Search Trip Allocation                            Back

The analysis conducted in Task 2 had indicated that Monmouth County residents travel to work destinations in Monmouth County (65%), Middlesex County (9%), New York City (7%), Ocean County (4%) and other regions (15%). Since it was assumed that WFNJ work (open and closed) and job search trips would have a similar distribution, the existing regional work trip distribution percentages were applied to the total projected work (both "closed" and "open") trips and to the job search trips. It is acknowledged that the likelihood of WFNJ participants commuting long distances to work may be somewhat less than for the workforce as a whole, due to the types of employment available to WFNJ participants.

1998 Projected Trips                            Back

Applying the above trip rates to the number of clients in each category produced projected weekly trips by category. The 1998 projected weekly trips for Monmouth County were:

• 16,577 child care trips
• 5,139 CWEP/Other training trips
• 6,980 work trips (employed case open)
• 11,940 work trips (employed case closed)
• 368 job search trips

The regional work (closed and open) trip distribution for Monmouth County participants was estimated to be:

• 12,298 trips within Monmouth County;
• 1,703 trips to Middlesex County;
• 1,324 trips to New York City;
• 757 trips to Ocean County; and
• 2,838 trips to other destinations in the region.

The regional job search trip distribution for Monmouth County participants was estimated to be:

• 239 trips within Monmouth County;
• 33 trips to Middlesex County;
• 26 trips to New York City;
• 15 trips to Ocean County; and
• 55 trips to other destinations in the region.

Future Year Projected Trips                            Back

In order to develop estimates for the coming years, assumptions on the changes in the total WFNJ participants by trip category were made. These assumptions are based on total WFNJ/TANF population estimates obtained from the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the current participation rates in Monmouth County. These assumptions are:

• The number of WFNJ participants will decrease by 23% in 1999;
• The number of WFNJ participants will decrease by an additional 10% in 2000; and
• the percentage of WFNJ participants in each category will remain consistent with the trend of the last six months at:

• 9% employed (closed)
• 46% employed (open)
• 16% CWEP
• 21% other training
• 8% job search

Projections for WFNJ participation by activity for 1999 and 2000 in Monmouth County are presented below.

* The January 1998 participation rate was approximately 60%

** The number of Employed (closed) is cumulative, less recidivism of 30%

Incorporation of these assumptions into the approach used to develop the 1998 estimates produces estimates for 1999 and 2000. The total trips for 1999 and 2000 are assumed to be 47,443 and 46,855 respectively. The significant increase in the number of trips is attributable to the increased participation of recipients in activities that require more trips (work and child care trips). The distribution of trips by activity and by regional destination are assumed to be consistent with the 1998 distribution since the participation rates by activity were assumed to remain constant for all three years.

• 10,425 trips by private auto
• 6,699 trips by other means
• 2,167 trips by fixed route transit

The regional work (closed and open) and job search trip distribution by mode was estimated to be:

• Monmouth County:

• 6,776 auto trips
• 4,355 other trips
• 1,407 fixed route trips
• Middlesex County:

• 938 auto trips
• 603 other trips
• 195 fixed route trips
• New York:

• 730 auto trips
• 469 other trips
• 171 fixed route trips
• Ocean County:

• 417 auto trips
• 268 other trips
• 87 fixed route trips
• Other areas:

• 1,564 auto trips
• 1,005 other trips
• 325 fixed route trips

Of total trips by mode, child care trips represent the largest group of trips made by private auto. Trips made using transit are most commonly work trips, and trips by other means are predominantly made for child care and training purposes.

The future year trips distribution by mode is assumed to be consistent with the 1998 distribution. The total number of trips on each mode are projected to be:

• auto trips: 23,370 in 1999 and 22,906 in 2000;
• other trips: 18,916 in 1999 and 18,912 in 2000; and
• fixed route: 5,157 in 1999 and 5,037 in 2000.

• More service for medical trips
• More service on evenings and weekends
• More access to shopping
• More service to rural parts of the county
• Service to out-of-county medical facilities
• Service to adult day care facilities
• Service for non-emergency ambulance that is affordable
• Service for church and social activities
• Lower cost service
• Improvements in trip travel times and in service frequency
• Improved communications and information

The service needs identified in the surveys consistently indicate the need to increase services available to the senior population.

• Expansion of transit services to outlying communities
• Improved east-west service between the Bayshore and western Monmouth County
• Increase service to neighboring counties
• Improved span of service and access to SCAT
• Increase access to ACCESS Link
• Lower cost service
• More service on nights, weekend and holidays
• More service to out-of-county medical facilities
• Service for immediate trips (not quite emergencies)
• Improved communications and information

• Service on nights, weekend and holidays
• Service on east-west routes
• Service to out-of-county medical facilities
• Improvements to trip travel times and trip frequencies
• Improvements in the affordability of transportation
• Improved communication and information

• Service on nights, weekend and holidays
• Improved access to child care facilities
• Access between the Bayshore and western Monmouth County including work sites not on existing transit routes
• Improved trip travel times and trip frequencies
• Improved service to employment destinations
• Improved service to educational facilities
• Improved convenience of transfers
• Improved communications and information

Transportation Service Gaps                            Back

The evaluation of the transportation needs of the WFNJ participants and the other transit dependent populations indicates gaps in the transportation offered by the existing systems. These gaps are evidenced by the high %age of WFNJ participant trips estimated to be made by other means -- 20% of the total trips and 40% of the work and job search trips (including those made by borrowing a car).

Fixed route service operates within and between areas of high concentrations of WFNJ participants, other transit dependent, and employers. While public transit service is available in Monmouth County in most areas where WFNJ participants live, there are some areas where work trips are difficult to make using transit, due to infrequent service, or not operating late enough to accommodate second shift workers. This is particularly problematic in Eatontown, and areas in the western portion of Monmouth County. Additionally, even where evening service is available, there is tremendous concern for safety of single women traveling in areas where there is a high incidence of crime, particularly late at night (11pm to midnight).

• More service on weekends and evenings
• Improved east-west service from the Bayshore to western Monmouth County
• Improved trip travel times and service frequency
• Improved service to employment opportunities
• Improved service to educational facilities
• Improved access to neighboring communities and counties
• Easier and faster transfers on transit
• Improved communications and information
• Low cost service options

The travel needs that are unique to seniors and people with disabilities include:

• Improved access to ACCESS Link service
• Improved span of service and access to SCAT
• Lower cost service options
• More service for medical trips
• More service on evenings and weekends
• More access to shopping
• Service to out-of-county medical facilities
• Service to adult day care facilities
• Service for non-emergency ambulance that is affordable
• Service for church and social events
• Improvements in trip travel times and in service frequency
• Improved communications and information

When developing alternatives to meet the service needs of transit dependent populations and the WFNJ participants, it is important to identify coordination opportunities where transportation resources can be maximized. It is also important to look at coordination opportunities between the transportation services of the individual agencies serving other transit dependent groups in an effort to eliminate duplication of effort and resources. In Monmouth County, many of the services designed for transit dependent populations have been coordinated, and benefit from a lower operating cost as a result.

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In addition to the information provided by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, information was gathered through intake surveys of WFNJ recipients and survey data collected from former welfare recipients placed in employment during the last year. Focus groups were held with employers and with WFNJ participants to learn more about the transportation demand patterns.

Demand for transportation among existing and projected WFNJ participants was estimated. The estimates were categorized by type of trip (work, childcare, and training), by mode (auto, transit, other), and among nearby counties based on the distribution of work destinations. For all types of trips occurring within Monmouth County for the current year, this population generates an estimated 8,200 trips each workday. Of these trips, approximately ½ are made in automobiles, and about 900 are made on fixed route transit. The remaining 3,200 trips are made in some other way, either by walking, riding a bicycle, or using a taxi. These 3,200 trips a day are the focus of the recommendations presented in this section.

What emerged from the analysis confirmed the idea that rather than finding large groups of WFNJ participants going to a common area, who could be served by transit, there are many small gaps in transportation service. Individual participants have specific needs, which are best addressed with a menu of transportation options. This menu includes automobiles and fixed route transit, as well as deviated fixed route service, feeder service, paratransit, shared ride taxi, van pools, car pools and volunteer emergency services. A single day’s commute may need to be accommodated on a combination of modes.

In this section, recommendations are made using the information gained from previous sections with input from the members of the Transportation Committee. The recommendations are presented in three sub-sections: (1) transportation services for review and discussion with NJ Transit, (2) transportation services that can be provided through Monmouth County Department of Transportation and its programs, and (3) ongoing efforts to maintain the discussion of WFNJ transportation needs as the WFNJ program evolves. Following these three sections, the next section addresses various roles of state and local agencies in funding, administering and providing services. The fifth section addresses public information needs and the final section explores areas of possible future coordination.

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In addition to NJ Transit’s inter-county routes providing transit between Newark and Long Branch, New York and Atlantic City and Asbury Park and Philadelphia, NJ Transit also provides service within Monmouth County along routes once operated independently. These routes are now operated by TCT under contract with NJ Transit, and are referred to as the "M-routes." These routes provide local service throughout Monmouth County generally on an hourly basis on weekdays between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. There is some Saturday and minimal Sunday service available.

In order for NJ Transit to better serve the mobility needs of the WFNJ population in Monmouth County, the following actions are recommended:

• Evaluate M-routes to determine if there are areas where routing, span of service, and/or frequency could be improved. Work with NJ Transit, employers and WFNJ clients to determine if there are M-routes that would more effectively serve the area if adjusted slightly, such as deviating service in off-peak hours, or extending service to meet shift workers.
• Evaluate the feasibility of providing feeder service to fixed route transit in areas where high concentrations of WFNJ participants live, such as Asbury Park and Long Branch. (NJ Transit is currently exploring options in Asbury Park.)
• Evaluate the feasibility of increasing service on the M-26 route which serves Route 66, particularly in the evening for second shift workers.
• Determine when and where connections between NJ Transit and Monmouth County Transportation services can be made. For example, Monmouth County Transportation may be able to provide service for lower cost during hours where demand is low on NJ Transit routes. This may benefit NJ Transit to the degree that their operating costs could be reduced.
• In areas where NJ Transit’s Access Link is available, work with NJ Transit Office of Special Services to find opportunities for brokering eligible trips between Monmouth County Transportation and Access Link for the most cost-effective service.
• Ensure that fare and schedule information is made available to all WFNJ Clients who may need it.

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Monmouth County currently provides several transportation services that are coordinated and available throughout much of the County. These services include SCAT service for seniors and people with disabilities, the Brokered Employment Transportation Service (BETS) for people with disabilities traveling to competitive employment, Shared Ride Taxi service, which is a user-side subsidy taxi program, and Medicaid transportation service.

As mentioned above, the key to meeting the needs of the Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) participants is having flexible transportation services available. Monmouth County Division of Transportation has developed a number of coordinated programs, and contracts with a variety of agencies and municipalities to provide demand responsive transportation services that are both cost-effective for the provider and affordable for the user. This is accomplished through well-defined program guidelines and the ability to effectively coordinate services.

This built-in coordination extends to the WFNJ transportation program that was funded by a grant in 1997, and began operation as a demonstration project in early 1998. The WFNJ transportation program employs a Transportation Coordinator who works with Employment Services, job placement and case management personnel along with WFNJ clients to devise a transportation plan. This has been very effective, and is beginning to be used more widely for planning transportation along with job placement. The WFNJ program is blended with the BETS service to enable transportation services to be provided more efficiently. Further efficiencies may be gained by blending other trips such as Medicaid transportation wherever possible to manage costs and provide more service, particularly during evenings and weekends.

While Monmouth County appears to be serving its clients effectively, there are issues that need to be addressed as the WFNJ transportation program develops:

• Expand the WFNJ transportation service to enable participation of former public aid recipients who are employed to use the program with a sliding fare payment scale, much like the model used in the BETS program. Allow registered clients to use the system as a back-up program at actual cost of service after they are established in the work environment.
• Seek funding to continue the WFNJ transportation program after the Demonstration Grant expires.
• Work with surrounding counties, particularly Middlesex and Ocean, to address the regional nature of travel patterns. Establish transfer points between systems for WFNJ participants traveling between counties.
• Make development of back-up plans for transportation part of the job placement process. Work with employers to facilitate understanding of this need, and to encourage reasonable flexibility regarding transportation of employees.
• Manage costs and encourage responsibility among WFNJ participants by promoting use of services that can be accessed independently, such as NJ Transit bus service. Provide higher levels of service (feeder and shared-ride taxi service) as needed to facilitate reasonable travel times. (Monmouth County Division of Transportation is doing this.)
• Evaluate union contracts for transportation providers to determine if there are issues that may block or hinder provision of service, particularly during evenings and weekends.
• Monmouth County has proposed a program for vehicle ownership for program participants in the past, called "Wheels to Work." This concept has potential for serving participants that are difficult to serve with transit, such as those in rural areas, or who have complicated or long commutes. There are some regulatory barriers within the State of New Jersey that must be addressed at the same time this program concept is updated.

The transportation planning process that has occurred over the past year has brought to light many issues where coordination of resources can help provide needed services to more people in a cost effective manner. In addition, the efforts made to learn the travel patterns of WFNJ participants have indicated that there is a need for individualized service and back up plans. Monmouth County has committed to providing demand responsive service through their WFNJ transportation grant, which has been the most effective way to transport many program participants. Continuing this type of service is important to meeting the employment goals of the WFNJ program.

Ongoing Efforts Toward Meeting the Transportation Needs of WFNJ Participants                 Back

The third category of recommendations are the ongoing efforts needed to monitor progress and to anticipate new needs as they arise. With the transportation service pieces in place or being implemented, the focus turns toward communication between the Divisions within the Department of Human Services, and communication with other entities that impact or are impacted by the WFNJ program and related transportation programs such as SCAT and BETS. This includes NJ Transit, the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and its committees, the Human Services Advisory Council, the Monmouth County Department of Planning, Economic Development, Employment Services, Area Human Service agencies such as the ARC of Monmouth and the United Way, Job Placement Agencies, employers, senior associations such as AARP, people with disabilities, particularly users of the BETS program, and others as appropriate.

The ongoing transportation committee should meet quarterly to discuss program changes, progress, funding, networking and coordination opportunities, marketing and outreach. The formality of the committee formation depends on the level of activity and the desire for it to play a role in the future of the WFNJ program.

Establish a committee with broad representation from areas listed above and develop a meeting schedule. Quarterly meetings may be appropriate for a group of such diversity. Designate a contact person within the Division of Transportation as a referral person for the committee. The first meeting should begin with a discussion of the WFNJ transportation study. Priorities of the committee should be established and goals set for short-term and long-term achievements.

Responsibilities of the committee include:

• Evaluating progress by surveying customers of transportation services periodically.
• Evaluating needs by surveying former WFNJ participants periodically. Identify transportation needs, where these needs are changing, related childcare needs, and what parts of the commute are most difficult, e.g., work hours, whether transit is an option, etc.
• Monitoring funding of the WFNJ and related programs, such as SSBG allocations. Seek funding for transportation by monitoring various sources, such as the NJ Department of Transportation, NJ Department of Labor, NJ Transit, county agencies, and municipalities. Funding opportunities should be sought to meet the needs of WFNJ participants, former participants, people with disabilities and seniors, coordinating service wherever feasible.
• Increase awareness about transportation options by providing outreach. Include transportation information in activities of individual committee member agencies, such as job fairs, fundraisers, county fairs, etc.
• Committee members should share their knowledge that will enable planning of transportation services prior to their need, such as future development or funding changes. Committee members should seek opportunities to coordinate and network services through services such as One Easy Link.

The ongoing activities are a means of establishing an interactive network that will provide a safety net for WFNJ participants and others who might otherwise not have access to transportation in Monmouth County. This coordinated approach should enable services to be funded through a variety of sources that seek to fund a coordinated system.

Potential Funding Sources and Service Partnerships       Back

Innovative Transportation Fund – This program was proposed by the Commissioners of Transportation and Human Services to fund innovative plans for transporting WFNJ participants in a coordinated way. One prerequisite for funding under this program is participation in the statewide planning process and having a coordinated plan. Specific program requirements are anticipated in August 1998, and funding is anticipated to begin in October 1998.

Department of Labor program funding – The US Department of Labor has issued two sets of requests for proposals in which transportation for WFNJ participants would be eligible for funding. Of the proposals that were approved for funding so far, only five contained any transportation and all were focused on urban areas. The second set of proposals was due on July 14, 1998. Again, transportation was eligible for funding, with a number of qualifiers. The Department of Labor grants must be applied for through the WIB and go through the WIB process. Because of the suburban nature of Monmouth County, this was viewed as an unlikely source for funding.

TANF Block Grant funding – Funding for Transportation Related Expenses (TREs) for WFNJ participants has been moved to fall under the block grant program. This increases the flexibility of how the funds are used; for example, the TRE funds usually provided as cash to program participants may be used to purchase transit passes, with the difference in costs provided to the County. NJ Transit is working with individual counties to establish the Work Pass program to use TRE funds to purchase transit passes directly. However, this is only helpful to the extent that clients have access to frequent transit service where they need to go. This funding source is limited to current WFNJ participants in eligible work activities. Former recipients are not eligible.

In addition, Social Security Block Grant money is used to fund a wide variety of programs which transportation would compete with, and this source of funding is very likely to be cut in the next three years. Ongoing cuts in funding limit the ability to fund transportation at the community level.

General Assistance Funds – The State of New Jersey funds the General Assistance (GA) program for adults without children who need assistance. The GA program funds are somewhat more flexible than some of the federal funding programs, and can be used for transportation for GA recipients.

Other funding options and resources – Monmouth County has a long history of demonstrating willingness to coordinate and communicate, and provide transportation services at a reasonable cost. As a result, there may be opportunities to develop revenue sources that benefit from the provision of the service locally. In addition, operations agreements with NJ Transit may enable cost savings and more flexible service within Monmouth County. Local funding may indeed be one of the best alternatives in the long run as the users and employers in Monmouth County derive the continued benefit of the service.

Future Coordination Issues    Back

NJ Transit’s Office of Special Services has announced that through the Access Link program (ADA complementary paratransit service), they are willing to participate in shared service arrangements with individual counties. For eligible customers, this would amount to NJ Transit operating the inter-county trips by referral, and the County would operate the intra-county Access Link trips under a brokerage agreement. Monmouth County sees potential in this concept and has contacted the NJ Transit Office of Special Services to discuss this further.

A longer-range coordination plan should be pursued with neighboring counties Middlesex and Ocean, the destinations of over 12 % of work trips. Options to consider include ridesharing, vanpooling, and transfer points between county-operated services. If service for seniors and people with disabilities were included in this concept, in a reciprocal manner, mobility would be greatly enhanced for these populations.

Priorities for Implementation   Back

Service alternatives and ongoing efforts to improve transportation for WFNJ participants were identified. Priorities for the other most important service alternatives discussed identifies the parties responsible for addressing each item and identifies regulatory or political barriers that are important to further Monmouth County transportation programs.

The priorities are separated into service and planning priorities, and regulatory priorities. Funding needs are specified where appropriate, however, in most cases, the costs will be determined when service is designed. NJ Transit service planning staff has indicated that they are the responsible party for evaluating service issues related to NJ Transit.

Service and Planning Priorities     Back