Asbury Park City Council Seeks Extended Train Service Request: NJ Transit continue late night train to be discontinued Sept 8

By Michelle Gladden

In a formal letter to NJ Transit, the city’s governing body has asked for the summer season’s late night train to continue service throughout the year, according to a news release issued Thursday morning.

“Asbury Park gets more traffic through NJ Transit in the summer months, absolutely,” Mayor John Moor said in a written news statement. “But that traffic doesn’t disappear just because summer ends. We still see big numbers of visitors throughout the fall and winter, as well as residents who commute to and from New York City.”

The late night service in question currently has a train that leaves New York City at 1 a.m. and a connector that arrives in Asbury Park at 2:54 a.m. It is due to be discontinued on Sept. 8.

“The need for more transit options has also come up again and again as something that would help our business community,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said. “Asbury businesses and retail are open year-round, and their busy season isn’t just during the summer, it’s well into the winter months and through the holidays.”

In a resolution passed earlier this month, the governing body outlines the city’s changing nature as not only a summer destination for beachgoers but also as a year-round draw utilized by not only visitors but also residents who work in and visit New York City.

“Public transportation and train access connects to public safety concerns, especially when it comes to late-night service,” Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton said. “So that people who are out late, or who might have had a few drinks, can get home without risking their safety or the safety of others by getting behind the wheel of a car.”

Officials said, the request was made with Asbury Park’s limited parking options in mind, in order to encourage visitors to visit via public transportation and to accommodate the city’s increase of the ‘millennial’ demographic [twenty and thirty somethings] who rely more heavily on public transportation.

“There’s an increase in the number of millennials purchasing housing units within the City who travel between New York and the City of Asbury Park,” the resolution states. “Many millennials do not own cars and rely on public transportation to attend work or late night events, many of which do not end until after midnight.”

——————————————————————–

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

Aug 25, 2016