Train-to-ferry shuttle bus service ready to roll BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer PHOTO COURTESY of MONMOUTH COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION Freeholders Barbara McMorrow (l-r) and Robert Clifton, Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger and Freeholder Lillian Burry celebrate the start of the Dock & Roll shuttle bus service. MIDDLETOWN - Township Planning Director Anthony Mercantante estimates that the idea for the Dock & Roll shuttle bus service was brought up approximately six or seven years ago, which brings up the question, what took so long? "We had to develop schedules between the ferries and the trains, which is easier said than done," Mercantante said. "We also had to make some minor traffic lane adjustments and create an overall service that people could utilize. As time went on, this really has become a much more complex project." But after all of the planning and adjusting, the shuttle bus service was finally unveiled last Wednesday at a press conference attended by local and county officials at the Bayshore Ferry Terminal. The service provides an estimated 15-minute link between the Middletown Train Station and the Bayshore Ferry Terminal, Belford. Commuters who ride the North Jersey Coast Line have an opportunity to exit the train and board a free bus that takes them to the terminal each weekday between 5:25 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. For noncommuters, a second Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus connection will serve restaurants, shopping and employment opportunities along Route 35 in Middletown and Holmdel townships between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. DAN NEWMAN Pictured is one of the Dock & Roll shuttle buses that were unveiled at a press conference last Wednesday at the Bayshore Ferry Terminal, Belford. The service will provide rail commuters a free connection to the ferry. Among the county officials present was Freeholder Robert Clifton of Matawan. "The Dock & Roll Shuttle Bus is an innovative new service that is the product of a partnership between the county, local towns and the private sector to find a creative solution to a common problem," Clifton said. Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said the project started to pick up steam about a year ago, and that before the launch a dry run was conducted to make sure that everything was in working order. "I really can't see any visible drawback to a program like this," Scharfenberger said. "The benefits are huge. I think many people in town are going to see how convenient this will be and how much time will be saved by motorists." Jeffrey Vernick, a supervisor of the transportation planning section of the Monmouth County Planning Board, feels that even if the shuttle gets off to a slow start in the community, that word-of-mouth and more advertising will lift the number of people utilizing the service. "At this point, it's a bit hard to project numbers, but as time goes on people will see what a great tool this is," Vernick said. He also said that NY Waterways, which operates the ferry service out of the Bayshore terminal, will be paying for advertising in the area. "This really is a true public-private partnership," Vernick said. The county will spend about $50,000 on the service over the next 12 months. The county also secured a federal grant, while the township will contribute funds that were already allocated to an already existing train station bus shuttle. More information about Dock & Roll, including shuttle schedules, can be found at www.dockandrollshuttle.com.