Route 72 Bridge shuttle suspended due to decrease in ridership

Photo via Google
Ridership decreased from 174 in
December to 42 in February.

The shuttle service offered when the north sidewalk on the east and west thorofares of the Route 72 Causeway Bridge closed for demolition and reconstruction in November was recently suspended due to a decrease in ridership. The number of riders dropped from a high of 174 in December to 42 in February. The sidewalk should reopen in about three weeks.

“Until that time, the few pedestrian commuters are able to walk through the closed portion of the bridge,” said Kevin Israel, a New Jersey Department of Transportation public information officer.

The free shuttle service, operated by Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, had cost $1,200 a day and was being funded as part of the $350 million Route 72 Manahawkin Bay Bridges project. It was available to individuals who normally walk or bicycle to and from Long Beach Island and the mainland via the bridge.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.