CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ – The Cape May County Fare Free Transportation Department received funding from One Stop Workforce Development to fund a Commercial Driving License (CDL) training program as part of a work force training initiative. It was determined that providing training for residents to obtain their CDL would open job opportunities for local eligible residents in the transportation sector which includes bus drivers.
The grant program has been expanded to utilize the CDL drivers for a pilot program to take the county’s summer workforce to and from the mainland to work in the resorts of Cape May and Wildwood. The pilot program started on July 5 and will run until September 9 and will serve the southern part of the county.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, who oversees the Fare Free Transportation Department, reported, “The need for transportation to and from the island resorts has been an issue for many years, this program will bring employees to the island to fill jobs and support the tourism industry.”
The bus will pick up at select locations in Middle and Lower Township with designated stops en route to two locations in Wildwood and one in Cape May, dropping workers off at Schellenger and Atlantic Avenue; and 26th and Ocean Avenue in Wildwood, and the Washington Street Mall in Cape May.
The work bus program is open to Cape May County residents from teenagers to adults and there is no pre-registration required. There are 3 buses that are staggered throughout the nearly 16 hour schedule that will pick up from the mainland locations to take workers to the two resorts. The bus will loop around Lower Township and southern Middle Township, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Aldi parking lot Rio Grande, with the last drop off at 11:45 pm at the Kmart parking lot in Rio Grande. The bus service will not run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The Fare Free Transportation Department has been providing transportation services for Cape May County residents for more than 40 years. The work bus program is in addition to the regular services provided by the department, such as, demand-response, subscription and modified-fixed route bus service to eligible senior citizens, persons with disabilities, veterans, and individuals of low-income and the general public, on a first come-first served basis.
For a schedule of the work bus pick up and drop off times go to:
http://capemaycountynj.gov/1273/Summer-Work-Bus-Schedule