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BACKGROUND

The 2002 Gloucester County Community Transportation Plan Update is a document that builds upon the statewide County Transportation Coordination Planning process that began on July 30, 1997 in response to the employment transportation needs created by New Jersey's Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) welfare reform initiative. The initial planning process was a statewide effort to develop transportation services to meet the mobility needs of welfare recipients as well as other residents in each of the 21 counties in New Jersey.

Prior to the statewide planning effort and development of the 1999 Gloucester County Community Transportation Plan, four (4) Gloucester County departments formed a Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) Transportation Committee in November, 1996 as the result of a countywide transportation meeting. Present at this meeting were representatives from local agencies and organizations, aides of area legislators, New Jersey Departments of Human Services and Transportation and others interested in addressing the transportation needs of the county's various transit dependent populations. These planning sessions resulted in Gloucester County becoming the first county in the state to implement a monthly bus pass program for welfare recipients having access to a public transit bus route. The teamwork displayed in this initiative and the positive results motivated the State to use Gloucester County's WFNJ Transportation Committee as a model in developing its own statewide transportation planning process for WFNJ participants and other residents. The Committee's success was also recognized through a Board of Freeholders Resolution in 1997, a National Association of Counties (NACO) Award as well as a NJ TRANSIT Merit Award in 1998.

Another outgrowth of Gloucester County's pioneer role in planning for the transportation needs of its welfare recipients was the awarding of funds by NJ Transit to the County's Special Transportation Services Division (now known as the Division of Transportation Services), of the Human Services Department to implement a paratransit feeder service and other transportation projects (detailed within the 1999 Community Transportation Plan).

The Gloucester County WFNJ Transportation Committee, with support from the Gloucester County Planning Department, served as the Steering Committee for developing the 1999 Community Transportation Plan. While the Plan focused primarily on the employment transportation needs of welfare recipients, the transportation needs of other county transit dependent populations were also addressed. Current transportation services were identified as well as gaps in service. New services were proposed to address the mobility needs of all Gloucester County residents by expanding, coordinating and integrating existing transportation services.

 The 2002 Transportation Update document expands upon the concepts in the 1999 Community Transportation Plan and further details transportation initiatives that serve to

benefit Gloucester County residents. This Transportation Plan Update is proof that Gloucester County's Transportation Plan is a living, breathing document that can be changed, amended and expanded periodically to reflect the transportation needs of all residents of this rapidly growing, dynamic county.

Copies of the 1999 Gloucester County Community Transportation Plan are available to interested individuals by contacting the Gloucester County Planning Division at 856-307-6650.

Copies of the 2002 Gloucester County Transportation Plan Update are also available by calling the Gloucester County Planning Division.

1.0 Introduction

Gloucester County's 2002 Community Transportation Plan offers readers an overview of existing transportation services in Gloucester County along with insight into the overall goal of developing and promoting a seamless, coordinated and accessible transportation network.

The body of the Plan contains the following components:

• Executive summary
• Profile of Gloucester County
• Transit dependent populations and needs
• Inventory of existing transportation services and resources (including public and private) fixed route, paratransit, ridesharing and other transportation-related assets.
• Identification of transportation gaps and overlaps and estimate of unmet needs.
• Detail of transportation service options to meet identified needs, focusing on solutions and initiatives that are most cost-effective and sustainable.

The Plan presents both a "snapshot" of the current transportation environment and a "vision" of how the transportation landscape can be augmented to address the transportation needs of Gloucester County residents. This information and perspective provides decision-makers and transportation planning professionals alike the opportunity to see the relationship between the status quo and a transportation system that considers an expansion of resources in an environment focused upon education, accessibility and coordination.

Steering Committee Members

The process to update the Gloucester County Community Transportation Plan followed the pioneering work of Gloucester County staff, particularly the staff within the Work First New Jersey office, Gloucester County Board of Social Services, Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services, and the Gloucester County Planning Department. Special acknowledgment is due the following individuals, who collectively were the driving force behind the development of the 1999 Community Transportation Plan and several transportation initiatives listed below that did not exist prior to 1997.

Steering Committee Members

• Bill Gordon Gloucester County Board of Social Services
• Sarah Hart Gloucester County Board of Social Services
• Terry Donlan Gloucester County Planning Division
• Rick DeCosta Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services

Transportation initiatives started by original Steering Committee members:

WorkPass Program - Features - (1) distribution of NJ Transit bus passes to TANF and GA recipients rather than cash payments, (2) issuance of bus passes rather than cash payments allow for access to all types of transit needs, work-related as well as for social, recreational and personal needs.

Paratransit Feeder Service - Features - (1) paratransit for residents to/from home to fixed route bus service for those who live too far from regular fixed route service (connector service), (2) is more cost efficient than providing transport entirely with paratransit services.

Keys to the Future - Features - (1) offers vehicles to TANF recipients who meet requirements, (2) provides the independence of a private automobile to individuals and their families by assisting with the acquisition of an automobile, and (3) recipients secure a loan through a local bank for their portion of the cost of the automobile and therefore establish personal credit rating.

Bicycle Program - Features - (1) offers bicycles to TANF and GA recipients who meet requirements, (2) bicycle provides access to work place via direct access or access to fixed route bus service.

The 2002 Plan Update represents a collaborative effort of the following individuals who offered their time and contributions to this document.

Ronald Bowers, Gloucester County Transportation Advisory Committee

Dennis Cook, Gloucester County College

Rick DeCosta, Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services

Therese Donlan, Gloucester County Planning Division

Eileen Gallo, Gloucester County Department of Economic Development

William Gordon, Gloucester County Board of Social Services

Sarah Hart, Gloucester County Board of Social Services

Sherie Jenkins, New Jersey Department of Labor

Dr. William King, Gloucester County Workforce Investment Board

Elaine Vets, Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services

The 2002 Community Transportation Plan Update provides an overview of existing transportation services along with statistics and trends among transit dependent populations. The Plan also details transportation service improvements and initiatives that would significantly enhance the current transportation service delivery system. The Steering Committee, during the process of updating this Plan, recognizes the important correlation between transportation, economic stability and vitality and the quality of life for the residents of Gloucester County. The impact of transportation services on the quality of life for our transit dependent populations and its relation to economic prosperity are common themes throughout the 2002 Plan Update.

Steering Committee members have expressed an interest in having the executive summary portion of this Plan detail twelve initiatives that should be considered by policy makers, planners and other transportation professionals to achieve the goal of developing and maintaining a seamless, accessible and coordinated transportation network. These initiatives are outlined in further detail within the Plan and are summarized here. The initiatives are not listed in order of importance and most, if not all, are inter-related to some extent.

1. Transportation Terminal

The establishment of a Transportation Terminal in Woodbury or Westville would provide a centralized location to receive and address transportation requests from transit-dependent populations. The choice of locations in Woodbury or Westville is due to the high frequency of public transportation in these areas. The Terminal would promote the sharing of office and parking space with transportation providers such as: Access Link, social service agencies, private operators and possibly municipal bus services. NJ Transit fixed route bus service would serve the Terminal location as well (the need for better coordination of NJ Transit bus schedules in the Woodbury/Westville area would need to be addressed). The Terminal would serve as a central clearinghouse to address transportation requests, be a NJ Transit ticket agency as well as offer bathroom facilities and shelter from inclement weather. The Terminal would ideally be a 24 hour, 7 day per week operation with state-of-the-art technology to track vehicles and efficiently schedule trip requests amongst various transportation providers.

The establishment of a Transit Terminal in Woodbury is a primary recommendation of the draft I-295/US 130 Riverfront Transportation Corridor Study recently prepared by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). The draft study lists four potential sites in Woodbury for consideration.

2. Welfare-to-Work/Working Poor Transportation

The Welfare Reform Act of 1997 produced better results than anyone could have predicted. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseloads nationwide have decreased an average of 55%. New Jersey's Work First Program (WFNJ) produced

results which caused its' TANF caseload to decline nearly 58% between the period April 1997 and December 2001. At the time that the Community Transportation Plan was being developed in 1997, Gloucester County's TANF caseload consisted of 1970 cases. Today, 630 TANF cases are active in Gloucester County. This represents a 68% decrease. This significant decrease is offset by the addition to the county's welfare rolls of approximately 520 General Assistance (GA) recipients from all towns except Franklin, Paulsboro and Swedesboro. GA recipients are single adults without dependent children.

The current TANF cases and many GA recipients represent the hard to serve component of welfare recipients. The need for transportation to training and employment sites is essential for continued success in moving more people from public assistance to work. The Gloucester County Steering Committee envisions a myriad of transportation services being available to welfare recipients as the best alternative since service needs vary greatly within this population. The continuation of programs such as WorkPass, Keys to the Future and Feeder service along with transportation improvements to employment/training sites via improved cross-county bus routes and increased service to Industrial Parks will create the transportation infrastructure needed to address the varied transportation requirements of the welfare and working poor populations.

   3.   Bus service to Pureland and Commodore Industrial Parks

The lack of transportation to two of the largest concentration of employers in Gloucester County (Pureland is the largest Industrial Park on the east coast) adversely affects the ability of many Gloucester County residents to obtain quality employment opportunities. Currently, there is limited county and NJ Transit bus service to Pureland and no transportation to Commodore Park from the Woodbury and Paulsboro areas. Expanded transportation opportunities to these sites will not only provide initial employment, but also enhance the ability of welfare recipients, the working poor and others to obtain jobs that offer upward mobility since many large corporations are housed at these sites. Transportation expansion is needed to increase the frequency of service to the site as well as offer access to the Industrial Parks from more areas in Gloucester County, particularly in the Williamstown and southern areas of Gloucester County.

4. Expanded Cross-County Bus Service to/from Avandale Park-n-Ride

NJ Transit has a Park-n-Ride service just outside Gloucester County in Sicklerville. This Park-n-Ride offers excellent access onto the Atlantic City Expressway for service east to Atlantic City and service west to Camden and Philadelphia. Currently the ability to access the Park-n-Ride lot via NJ Transit bus service is limited to routes #400 and #463. The #463 offers east to west, cross-county service to Turnersville and Woodbury during weekdays only with limited service hours. The limited service hours on the #463 bus route limits access to the #551 express bus route for casino and Philadelphia bound riders. The #400 bus travels between Monroe Township to Camden and Philadelphia. The lack of additional bus service to/from this facility from areas such as Glassboro and the western areas of Gloucester County limits the ability of residents to travel to Atlantic City for employment. Furthermore, residents who can access the Avandale Park-n-Ride can not currently travel onto Pureland and Commodore Industrial Parks for employment.

5. Need for Park-n-Ride Facilities

Congestion on Gloucester County roads increases daily, particularly along the Rt.42 corridor from Washington Township to Route 295 and on to Philadelphia. Despite this fact, and numerous studies citing the need for park and ride facilities in Gloucester County, there is only one park and ride site inside Gloucester County. This small lot, located at Route 45 & Cedar Road in Harrison Township, has approximately 20 parking spaces. There is no lighting or bus shelters at this facility and services only one NJ Transit route #410 which has a two hour midday headway. This one site does little to affect high traffic areas in Gloucester County. Recent studies have also identified the potential and need for park and ride sites in Woodbury and Glassboro to provide traffic congestion relief.

6. Establish Additional NJ Transit Ticket Agencies

Currently there are three sites to purchase NJ Transit bus passes in Gloucester County. The sites are located at the NJ Transit Turnersville Garage, Gloucester County College and the Bagelicious eatery operated by the Abilities Center in Deptford. Gloucester County College and the Abilities Center sell tickets on a limited time schedule and the NJ Transit garage is inaccessible to almost all NJ Transit bus passengers. The current level and locations of NJ Transit ticket agents is insufficient. There needs to be a more aggressive effort by NJ Transit in locating ticket agents in grocery stores and other retail outlets that are convenient to public transportation users. The placement of one or more ticket agents in the county seat of Woodbury is also essential since this is the hub of NJ Transit bus activity. With encouragement of the County Planning staff, Rowan University in Glassboro has recently agreed to become a NJ Transit ticket agency. NJ Transit has the necessary paperwork and has committed to expedite the process to establish this site as the fourth ticket agency in Gloucester County.

7. Coordination of County Paratransit Services and Access Link Bus Services

Gloucester County and NJ Transit both operate paratransit-type services to benefit persons with disabilities. The County service is the Division of Transportation Services (DTS), under the Department of Human Services, and the NJ Transit operated service is called Access Link, which operates complementary paratransit trips to its' fixed route service as mandated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legislation. These two services maintain operating differences. However, it is clear that the two services serve the same population and provide service to similar destinations. There is a known overlap of services to persons with disabilities working at two sheltered workshops in Gloucester County. The need to use limited resources wisely, by having a formal coordination agreement between these two paratransit services, is essential to expanding reliable transportation opportunities for persons with disabilities.

8. Coordination and Expansion of Ferry Service in West Deptford

Employment opportunities at the old Philadelphia Naval Base with the Kvaerner Ship Building Company and Center City Philadelphia, along with the new river front development, Riverwinds, in West Deptford Township, makes the coordination of bus service and expansion of ferry service between Philadelphia, Camden and West Deptford essential. Currently the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) operates "Riverlink", a ferry service between Camden and Philadelphia, mostly for the benefit of tourists for stops on the New Jersey side at the Aquarium and the Battleship USS New Jersey.

Current DRPA ferry service could be augmented to include an additional stop in West Deptford, at the old location that served the Philadelphia Naval Base at the end of Red Bank Avenue in West Deptford. To properly serve workers in Philadelphia, service frequency during peak hours between New Jersey and Philadelphia would need to be increased. Increases in ferry service activity would require greater coordination of bus service, most likely with the NJ Transit #455 or #402 buses, which operate in the Woodbury, National Park and Paulsboro areas. The greater use of ferry service will provide another transit alternative to the automobile for residents traveling to/from Philadelphia for work and tourism.

9. Establish Passenger Rail Service between Glassboro and Camden

Currently there is no passenger rail service originating or operating through Gloucester County. In 1993, NJ Transit, in consultation with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), submitted a final report entitled, "Burlington/Gloucester Corridor Assessment". The Executive Summary of this study outlined two primary passenger rail options for Gloucester County, 

(1) full PATCO type, identical to existing PATCO high speed line service, using highway rights along NJ Route 42 and NJ Route 55, and 

(2) modified PATCO, light rail service to use existing railroad rights of way that run through many small communities in Gloucester County between Glassboro and Camden.

The study found that the absence of transportation investments to increase capacity, with the combination of anticipated future growth in population, employment and car ownership in the area, will degrade traffic conditions, causing worsening air pollution in the study corridor. The issue of passenger rail service in Gloucester County continues to be debated, as evidenced by a March 13, 2002 Gloucester County Times editorial. The editorial reads in part, "with changes in traffic and commuting patterns, it may make more sense (to build a rail line now) than in the mid 1990's". The Committee agrees that a need exists, and passenger rail service in Gloucester County should be pursued.

10. Expand the Division of Transportation Services

The senior population in Gloucester County grew at a rate of 12% from 1990 to the Year 2000. This growth in the elderly population, along with the increased participation in employment and recreational related activities by persons with disabilities, necessitates the need for expansion of the Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services (DTS). The expansion of DTS into more of a community transportation provider can have wide ranging benefits for all of the transit dependent populations outlined within the Plan. The expansion of DTS can take many forms, from a combination of coordination and consolidation of services, to providing services directly to using a combination of providers under a brokerage arrangement. The proper expansion of DTS will allow transit dependent populations to have a known local, reliable, flexible service provider offering more options for varied trip purposes. The end result of expansion will be more service hours offering more medical, employment, education, job training, recreation and personal business rides for all residents of Gloucester County with particular emphasis on the transit dependent populations of senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

11. Transit Information Distribution, Education, Promotion and Website

The need to provide information and education about transit services is an integral support component in the proper use of transit services. In Gloucester County there is no formal designation of staff to provide transit information, educational programs and needed marketing services to the general public. While the Transportation Staff at the County Planning Division of the Public Works Department disseminates transit information by telephone, mail, maintains and updates transit racks along with distributing information to important sites such as local libraries, municipal offices, etc., there is still a need for dedicated funding to provide County staff with the resources to reach all county residents, employers, employees and visitors.

Short of providing these services under the umbrella of a Transit Terminal, the Committee recommends a stable marketing/promotional funding source available to County staff along with the establishment of a website. The website would have hot links directly to NJ Transit, social service agencies, DTS and municipal web sites regarding transportation provided by local agencies. Consideration should also be given to establishing an 1-800 number for County transit information like 1-800 GLO TRAN (1-800-456-8726) as an additional information source since many residents may not have access to a computer.

12. Youth Transportation

Due to restrictions surrounding driving privileges under New Jersey's Graduated Driver License Program (effective January 1, 2001), every year, approximately 15,000 Gloucester County youth between the ages of 16 to 18 will be affected by these changes.

New Jersey's Graduated Driver License (GDL) is a program that teen and first-time drivers must complete to get their unrestricted basic driver license. The program is designed to reduce the number of driving fatalities among teen and first-time drivers and their passengers. By having more experience, new drivers will be more capable of handling all types of driving situations.

These new driving restrictions have a profound effect on Gloucester County youth and Gloucester County employers who depend upon younger workers for seasonal and other types of work. Under GDL, car usage by youth will be lessened; therefore, the need to use alternative transportation and, in particular, public transportation will increase. Though there is an increased need to use public transportation by youth, one of the major obstacles of the youth population utilizing public transportation is their parents' concerns surrounding the safety of their children. Therefore, a marketing strategy that targets both the parents and the youth is recommended. Parents must be assured that the use of public transportation is safe. Current bus stops must be well lit and the record of safety used as a tool in marketing the use of public transportation. Furthermore, youth must be taught to read a bus schedule and how to use public transportation at an early age. It would be best that youth and their families become accustomed to utilizing public transportation through early indoctrination and family utilization.

1.1 Gloucester County Profile

Gloucester County occupies 329 square miles in southwestern New Jersey. It is bordered by Cumberland and Atlantic Counties to the south-southeast, Camden County to the east-northeast, the Delaware River to the north-northwest, and Salem County to the southwest. Gloucester County is located about 5 miles south of Philadelphia, which is directly across the Delaware River. It is 45 miles west of Atlantic City and 10 miles east-northeast of Wilmington, Delaware.

In 2000, there were 254,673 people residing in the 24 municipalities in Gloucester County, making it the 14^th most populous of the state's 21 counties. The area encompasses several densely populated areas, mostly small towns in the north-northeast and central sections of the county. The county is largely suburban, with tracts of rural areas in the west and south-southeast.

Almost 12 percent of the population of Gloucester County in 2000 (29,678 persons) was age 65 or older, lower than the statewide average of 13.2 percent of the population. The 1995 percentage of population age 65 or older was 11.3 percent. The number of seniors in each community ranged from a low of 206 in Woolwich Township to a high of 4,233 in Washington Township. Senior residents as a percentage of a community's population were lowest in Logan Township (6.2 percent) and highest in Woodbury (16.5 percent). Ten of the county's 24 communities had a higher percentage of seniors compared with the general population than the state average of 13.23 percent:

• Deptford 14.99% East Greenwich 14.94%
• Greenwich 18.12% Newfield 14.23%
• Paulsboro 13.86% Pitman 15.05%
• Wenonah 13.81% Westville 14.07%
• Woodbury 16.51% Woodbury Hts. 13.25%

Gloucester County is near the midpoint of New Jersey counties when it comes to median household income, ranking 12^th of 21 counties in New Jersey in 1997. The estimated median household income for Gloucester County in 1997 was $49,279; the New Jersey average was $47,903. The estimated percentage of those living under the poverty level was 7.4 percent, compared to the New Jersey average of 9.3 percent. In 1997, 7.7 percent of the total population in the county was living below the poverty level (defined by the U. S. Census according to family size, age of household head, and number of dependent children).

In 2000, nearly 13 percent of the occupied housing units (OHUs) in New Jersey had no access to a car according to the U.S. Census. In Gloucester County 6.8 percent of OHUs had no auto access.

By individual community, the number of OHUs without a car available was highest in Woodbury, where 19.3 percent, or 801 households were in this category.

An overview of the county's demographic and socioeconomic characteristics is summarized in Table 1.1:

2.0 Transportation Dependent Populations

Welfare Recipients

In October 1997, there were 7,571 individuals in Gloucester County receiving public assistance. This was estimated to consist of 3,486 adult recipients (46 percent of the total recipients) and 4,085 children (54 percent). This includes recipients of assistance from several programs.

In the five years since the inception of the Welfare Reform Act of 1997, Gloucester County now has more information on the needs of those receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF, formerly AFDC) who are not exempt because of age, disability, illness, or providing care for a dependent adult or child, as well as those receiving General Assistance (GA), who are clients without dependent children. First and foremost, the numbers of people on public assistance has dropped significantly. Gloucester County has experienced a 68% reduction in the caseload of TANF recipients between 1997 and 2001. The number of active TANF cases in 2001 were 630 cases.

In addition, the county welfare rolls have taken over municipal responsibility for GA recipients in all but three municipalities. 520 GA recipients were under the responsibility of the Gloucester County Board of Social Services in 2001. The reduction in the number of welfare recipients in Gloucester County between 1997 and 2001 can be attributed to the innovative transportation programs such as WorkPass, Feeder service and Keys to the Future developed by the WFNJ Transportation Committee. These transportation programs combined "to take away the excuse" that proper transportation services were not available for welfare recipients to pursue training programs and gainful employment.

Almost half the TANF and GA cases continue to be concentrated in four communities:

• Glassboro,
• Monroe Township,
• Paulsboro, and
• Woodbury.

Information about Gloucester County WFNJ cases is summarized below:

Table 2.1

Gloucester County WFNJ Cases by Municipality - April 2002

For the most part, potential WFNJ participants live in the most densely populated sections of the county:

• Woodbury, National Park, Paulsboro and surrounding areas in the north;
• the Pitman-Glassboro-Clayton corridor in the central section of the county;
• the Williamstown area in the east; and
• Swedesboro in the western region.

There are medium concentrations of WFNJ participants surrounding these densely populated areas, and scattered throughout the more rural sections of Gloucester County. Many of these communities also contain high concentrations of transit-dependent groups in general, including individuals and families with low income and/or limited access to a car, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.

Working Poor

Working poor is often a difficult category to define. This transit dependent category has been hampered by the lack of a common understanding of the term. A report developed by Legal Services of NJ & Poverty Research Institute and the Center of Economic Policy and Education called the Real Cost of Living: the Self-Sufficiency Standard for NJ in 1999 calculates transportation costs at $157 per month for a single adult, $167 for a single adult with child and two adults with child at $318 per month for Gloucester County. The report does not mention how these costs were derived, and to the casual observer, these costs seem low for the owner of an automobile in New Jersey. The definition of poverty is one that continues to be debated amongst federal agencies and state and federal agencies alike. The debate over the definition is important since it supports the level of subsidies, if any, to those considered to be working in poverty.

During the second half of the 1990's, as millions of people moved off welfare rolls and into low-paying jobs, policy makers and policy analysts have become increasingly concerned about the challenges facing the working poor. (The annual earnings of a full-time, full year worker making $6 per hour (minimum wage) are too low to lift a family of three above the poverty line).

The challenge of reliable and affordable transportation is one that must be resolved for the working poor to encourage work and economic well-being. Without a private automobile, the poor face dependence upon public transportation and its' inherent lack of flexibility. This lack of flexibility has been recognized by the Gloucester County WFNJ Transportation Committee in the development of transportation options for welfare recipients. These same options are relevant to the working poor population, except that many times the working poor do not qualify for transportation-related subsidies - thus discouraging the concept of work. Programs in Gloucester County such as: Work Pass, Keys to the Future and the Feeder system have been developed to compliment, augment and provide flexibility to the existing fixed route transportation system.

In Gloucester County, the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) works with the working poor in the areas of job training and education. Their office reports of the 650 participants served in 2001 in various programs, approximately 200 face a transportation hardship. Their office has also identified a lack of out of county transportation to employment areas in Camden County (Cherry Hill,), Burlington County (Mount Laurel), Atlantic City, Newark, Delaware, Philadephia and Philadelphia suburbs.

Without an automobile, the ability to economically elevate oneself by accessing work sites and training programs is complicated by the lack of available and affordable transit systems in Gloucester County. Welfare recipients and working poor who do not own and operate an automobile face challenges accessing not only work-related sites, but also, personal, social and recreational endeavors (i.e., food shopping, Board of Social Services, etc.). The need for non-work trips is important for people to have an active, and proper, quality of life. For the purposes of this Plan, employment related activities have been focused upon for the transit dependent populations of welfare recipients and working poor. However, the varied transportation needs of welfare recipients and the working poor can not be excluded in the development of a comprehensive transit system.

Areas with high population density, unemployment, senior populations, and lowest income also exhibited the highest need for public transportation services. In Gloucester County, the communities with the highest needs, in rank order are:

• Clayton;
• Glassboro;
• Pitman;
• Woodbury;
• Westville;
• Paulsboro;
• Wenonah.
• Swedesboro;
• National Park;
• Deptford Township;
• Greenwich Township (Gibbstown);
• Logan Township
• Monroe Township (Williamstown);
• Washington Township (Turnersville); and
• West Deptford Township (Thorofare).

Areas shown to have a medium level of need for public transportation include portions of the following communities:

• Mullica Hill (Harrison Township);
• Monroe Township;
• Mantua Township;
• Washington Township;
• East Greenwich Township;
• Franklinville (Franklin Twp.); and
• Newfield.

Youth Transportation

Another category of transportation need for employment and recreational activities are youth between the ages of 16-18. Due to driving privilege restrictions established under New Jersey's Graduated Driver Program (effective January 1, 2001), every year, approximately 15,000 Gloucester County Youth between the ages of 16-18 are affected. New Jersey's Graduated Driver License (GDL) is a program that teen and first time drivers must complete to get their unrestricted basic driver license. The program is designed to reduce the number of driving fatalities among teen and first-time drivers and their passengers (see fatality chart below from U.S. Department of Transportation survey).

These new driving restrictions have a profound effect on Gloucester County youth and their ability to access services. Of particular concern is the effect the GDL has on youth and employers who depend upon younger workers for seasonal and other types of work. Under GDL, car usage by youth is lessened; therefore, the need to use alternative transportation and, in particular, public transportation increases. The same public transit issues outlined for welfare recipients and the working poor apply to youth who are too young to obtain an unrestricted driver's license. The inability to access Industrial Parks and out of county employers adversely affects both youth and employers.

An additional obstacle for youth transportation that does not apply to welfare recipients and the working poor is their parents' concerns surrounding the safety of their children when using public transportation. To overcome this fear, which is statistically unfounded, parents must be assured that public transportation is safe. Current bus stops must be well lit and a record of safety used as a marketing tool. Furthermore, youth must be taught to read a bus schedule and how to use public transportation at an early age. The expansion of community transportation services to include youth would also have a positive impact on youth transportation needs by increasing access to employers and also giving parents a greater sense of security by having a local operator provide more direct service to/from destinations.

Employment Destination Information and Service Needs

The locations of major employment centers for Gloucester County residents were plotted. Research found in 1998 that 81 percent of County residents worked in New Jersey. This was broken down as 46 percent, or 51,372 individuals, who worked within Gloucester County and over 38,000 people, or 35 percent of County residents, worked in other New Jersey counties. These numbers indicate that new jobs are likely to be found outside the County. Other New Jersey counties in which the highest numbers of Gloucester County residents worked included:

• Camden 21,708 19.6%
• Burlington 5,179 4.7%
• Cumberland 3,338 3.0%
• Atlantic 3,182 2.9%
• Salem 2,694 2.4%

Another 12 percent of Gloucester County workers (13,501) were employed in the City of Philadelphia, and 5 percent worked in other Pennsylvania locations.

NJ Department of Labor forecasts predict that employment in Gloucester County will increase by 17.7 percent between 1994 and 2005. Industries forecast to have the greatest employment increase are:

• Social services 64.9%
• Business services 55.7%
• Food stores 29.2%
• Health services 25.9%
• Eating & drinking places 18.6%

There are sixteen major industrial parks in Gloucester County, housing over 200 companies. The plan presented in the next section includes considerations of how to get employees to these industrial centers and the major retail centers spurring growth in the retail and manufacturing/distribution occupations.

According to information from the Gloucester County Workforce Investment Board, there were 67,886 total jobs in the private sector in the County in 1995. This information is presented by community in Table 2.2. As shown, almost 38 percent of private sector employment in Gloucester County was in three communities:

Community Jobs % of Total

Deptford Township 9,037 13.3

Washington Township 8,792 13.0

Woodbury 7,898 11.6

TOTAL 25,727 37.9

This information is significant since public transportation to/from the City of Woodbury is excellent from most areas of Gloucester County, yet, east-west public transportation to/from the municipalities of Washington and Deptford is minimal. The NJ Transit #463 bus operates east to west through both of these municipalities on weekdays serving major employers such as: Gloucester County College, Underwood Hospital, Kennedy Hospital in Washington Township and Gloucester County government offices in Woodbury. There is currently no service offered on weekends and evening service on the #463 is on a two hour headway with last trips operating prior to 11:00pm. This service limitation adversely affects workers and potential workers at hospital sites and other shifts starting or ending at midnight. The NJ Transit #455 bus offers limited east-west service in Gloucester County by accessing Woodbury and the Deptford Mall from the areas of Paulsboro and National Park.
Table 2.2

*UPDATE: Recent study by Gloucester County Planning Department in 2002 found that 87 companies are located in Logan Township employing 7488 employees (5204 in Pureland Industrial Park, 1974 in Commodore Park and 310 elsewhere).

The Rutgers study referenced in the 1997 Community Transportation Plan reviewed the geographic distribution of jobs and determined what percentage of employers and jobs in Gloucester County were within various distances of an existing NJ Transit bus route. In Gloucester County, it was found that 82 percent of firms were within ¼ mile of a bus route; 92 percent of firms were within ½ mile of a bus route; and 97 percent of firms were within one mile. This data is misleading to the extent that firms may be close to bus service, yet the inference that easy access to these sites occurs is inaccurate since NJ Transit bus routes in Gloucester County are limited, poorly timed for transfers and for the most part, operating in a north to south direction and not available to homes in many rural areas and areas lying beyond proper access to bus service.

Employment Transportation Gaps

Figure 2.3 provides an overlay of employment sites and bus routes with the previously mentioned degrees of transit needs in each community. Within the County, this shows the confluence of major employers and high transit needs in the Woodbury-Westville and Glassboro-Pitman areas.

Suburban Gloucester County WFNJ clients have greater access to public transportation than their rural counterparts. WFNJ clients who live in the more densely populated towns (e.g. Glassboro, Paulsboro, Williamstown) have a more extensive public transportation network available as an alternative. The City of Woodbury for example, has six NJ Transit bus routes traveling within its borders. Thus, transportation is less of a barrier to accessing job opportunities in the county and beyond. By comparison, rural clients without access to an automobile will have fewer alternatives, may have more difficulty planning trips, and may be more restricted in the work destinations they can reach and therefore the job opportunities they can consider.

Jobs that are available may not involve "typical" work hours. They may involve evening and weekend hours or start and end times that are not in the traditional peak commuting hours. Thus, though there may be transit service available in the suburban communities, the actual schedule may not be conducive for making the work trip by bus. The biggest service gap identified for WFNJ clients is accessing NJ Transit buses during off peak hours. Clients obtaining jobs on the second or third shift (evenings and overnights), for example, may find NJ Transit bus service intermittent or curtailed completely. Evening, midday, and weekend service may run on a headway of 60 minutes or greater between buses. This may force those with weekend and non-rush hour work shifts to endure commutes of an hour or more to and from work, especially if a transfer is involved. Workers ending their shifts after midnight may find no service available at all for the return trip.

For rural WFNJ clients, the largest service gaps are capacity related. There are fewer bus routes in the rural areas, which limits the choice of alternatives for those without a car available. Southern and eastern Gloucester County (e.g. Franklin, Elk, Greenwich, South Harrison and Woolwich Townships) frequently are mentioned as the areas of the county most lacking in public transportation services. East-west cross county transportation also is a major concern for rural residents, with the majority of public transit routes running on a north-south axis toward the cities of Woodbury, Camden and Philadelphia. Again, those individuals on evening, night and weekend work schedules will be the most inconvenienced.

Elderly

For the purpose of this Plan, the definition of senior citizen will vary based upon available data for over 60 and over 65 years of age. This definition will be expanded further when discussing 55 and over housing.

Mobility is an important quality of life issue for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. According to 1998 data published by Indiana University, the elderly population in the United States will double from 35 million in Year 2000 to 70 million in Year 2030 (over 65 years of age). As this phenomenal growth rate occurs, a corresponding growth will occur in number of people who can operate a vehicle safely. According to 1996 fatality statistics provided in a Loyola University Health System publication, the number of fatal crashes in which older drivers are involved grew 14% between 1988-1998. Furthermore, people age 70 and older have more motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 drivers for every age group except people younger than 25. This data indicates that there are too many unsafe, older drivers in the United States leaving many states with the difficult issue of when and how to ground elderly drivers. When older Americans lose their ability to drive and maintain an automobile, they become dependent upon outside providers for transportation (i.e., family, friends, government, private taxis, etc.). This situation can be severe for some, but for all senior citizens facing a life without driving, there is qualitative loss of independence and a disconnect with normal daily activities.

Gloucester County has experienced a 12% increase in the number of senior citizens in the age group of 60-85 from the 1990 census to the Year 2000 census. The Year 2000 census recorded 38,931 senior citizens in the 60-85 age bracket residing in Gloucester County. Increases in the number of senior citizens dictate the need to plan for service expansion.

Service Needs and Gaps

The Gloucester County Department on Aging points to a recent survey of senior citizens in which the need for transportation services was rated as one of the top three service needs. Needs expressed included: need for less advance time to service providers to receive a ride to important medical appointments, more service to out-of-county doctors, particularly in the southern portions of Gloucester County and more service for personal and recreational endeavors. The Department on Aging provided an example in 2002 when their office interceded to help someone who needed transportation for a medical procedure in the southern portion of Cumberland County, an area not served by the County's Division of Transportation Services (DTS). The Department on Aging reported that the cost of the trip scheduled by their office was $125.00. This cost is reasonable for the marketplace, but relatively unreasonable for individuals to bear on an on-going basis.

This type of trip and associated cost underscores the expensive nature of providing personalized, paratransit services within a large service area. Another important unmet transportation need for senior citizens that has been reported by both DTS and the Department on Aging is wheelchair transport that involves bringing people to the vehicle from inside their home. There are times when senior citizens have medical ailments, or suffer an accident (i.e., broken hip), that quickly changes their transportation needs and circumstances at home. There are many more senior citizens living into their 80's and 90's and becoming quite frail while trying to live an independent lifestyle in their own homes. However, without a wheelchair ramp, or the availability of family or qualified people to assist or carry the wheelchair bound person from the home, senior citizens become dependent upon expensive ambulance services for their transportation needs.

DTS reports that requests for all types of medical related transportation by senior citizens has increased tremendously over the past 15 years. Transportation to dialysis treatments is one particular growth area. In 1992, DTS transported six people for dialysis treatments. Ten years later, DTS is transporting sixty people to dialysis for their 3 days per week treatments. DTS reports difficulty in keeping up with the demand for dialysis transportation requests that are being made by social workers from the two dialysis units currently in Gloucester County, namely, the Renex Dialysis Center in the City of Woodbury and the Kennedy Dialysis Center in Turnersville.

The senior citizen population also includes many veterans of the armed services. In Gloucester County, veterans have VA hospital facilities in nearby Philadelphia and Elsmere, Delaware. DTS currently has 170 veterans registered in their computer database for transportation services. Veterans requiring affordable medical treatment or prescriptions must access either of these two facilities. There is also the option of the VA Clinic in Camden County that has limited hours and limited medical treatment available to veterans (i.e., blood pressure, routine procedures). The Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders plan to bring the Camden County VA Clinic into Turnersville in Gloucester County in 2003. This move, and related expansion of medical procedures available to veterans, will have a positive impact on medical care and reduce the need for inter-state transportation of veterans.

Persons with Disabilities - Non - Elderly

The transportation needs of the non-elderly disabled are many and varied. From the most basic needs, such as going to the bank and grocery store, or to participate in the work force, individuals with disabilities continue to face transportation barriers. These barriers are real for many people with disabilities in their pursuit of activities associated with employment, training/education, recreation and personal business. In the area of employment, where most statistical data is available, a 1994 Harris poll revealed that 24% of people with disabilities who were not working (or only working part time) cited a lack of affordable, convenient, accessible public transit as an important reason that they could not take a job.

Ready access to both public and private transportation is essential in order for people with disabilities to lead full, independent lives. Unless he/she owns a lift-equipped van or car, a wheelchair user cannot accept an offered job if there are no accessible buses, vans or taxis. Blind and hearing impaired individuals are left to fend for themselves without the audible or visible information they need to travel safely and effectively. Without a job, he/she will be forced to use public disability programs as a primary means of support, and forego the most basic step in integration.

A sample of employment statistics amongst persons with disabilities shown here is not specifically related to transportation, however, it can be logically extrapolated from the 1994 Harris poll that 1 in 4 of people surveyed below has an employment issue related to transportation. (This information is from a 1995 Employment Survey, Employment trends among people with disabilities).

Unemployment rates of people with functional disabilities:

78% of working-age wheelchair users, 72.5% of cane, crutch or walker users,

69.5% of people unable to climb stairs, 77.5% of those unable to walk three city blocks, 73% of those unable to lift and carry 10 pounds or more,

69.2% of blind people (unable to see words or letters), 56.3% with a serious visual impairment,

64.9% with mental retardation, 58.7% with mental or emotional impairments or disorders

35.6% with hearing impairments, and 40.3% of those unable to hear normal conversation

These statistics underscore the need for effective and accessible transportation for people with disabilities to reach employment, thus generate income, and acquire a level of independence and self-determination. Below are some thought provoking Myths and Facts of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legislation that were written as a companion piece to the 1994 Harris poll:

Myths and Facts of the ADA legislation in public transportation:

Myth: The Americans with Disabilities Act has made transportation facilities fully accessible.

Fact: Getting from place to place can still be a nightmare for people with disabilities.

Myth: People with disabilities don't use public transportation, so accessibility is unimportant.

Fact: When transportation systems are made accessible, ridership by people with disabilities increases dramatically.

Mental Health Issues and Emotional Disorders

The other area of disabled transportation that is often overlooked is the need to transport persons suffering from mental disorders. This population in Gloucester County faces tremendous challenges in the area of transportation when accessing essential services. Transportation to medical appointments and programs along with the need to engage in social and recreational endeavors are service needs that need to be met since most persons suffering from schizophrenia and bi-polar disorders are unable to maintain a driver's license. The Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services reports an exponential increase in the number of rides requested for mental health related programs. From May 2001 to May 2002, the Division of Transportation Services experienced an increase in rides from 449 one-way trips in May 2001 to 832 one-way trips in May 2002 (an 86% increase) to the Outpost, which is the primary agency in Gloucester County for handling persons with severe mental disorders. These statistics underscore the need for transportation support for persons with mental health-related disabilities.

Service Needs and Gaps

In Gloucester County, people with disabilities face similar challenges as indicated in the national data. Employment related transportation remains a critical unmet need according to the Gloucester County Office of Disability Services. Their office reports that overall mobility is insufficient and a barrier. For example, where public transportation or paratransit may be available, safe crosswalks may not be for residents who are blind or wheelchair bound. Their office acknowledges a significant improvement in transportation opportunities for persons with disabilities seeking employment due to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the requirement of NJ Transit to offer complimentary paratransit services to their fixed bus route system. The complimentary service, entitled "Access Link", began providing service to qualified Gloucester County residents in 1995.

Access Link has been the transportation answer for many people with disabilities since the service operates absent of trip purpose priorities and requirements. The implementation of NJ Transit sponsored complimentary paratransit has seen many successes, yet, in Gloucester County, there are on-going reports of service failures. The lack of service reliability on the part of Access Link has been cited as a critical issue by passengers, parents/guardians of passengers, the Division of Transportation Services, the Office of Special Needs at Gloucester County College and the Gloucester County Office of Disability Services.

The County paratransit system, DTS, has been unable to provide for many of the non-medical needs of the non-elderly disabled population. With limited funds, and a fare free service structure, DTS has adopted operating procedures that allow the service to provide for most in-county transportation needs, but restrict service to out-of-county areas and employment needs. The current DTS budget does not support the level of drivers and vehicles needed to serve the many and varied transportation needs of the elderly and disabled population in Gloucester County. DTS cites a waiting list for transportation to gainful employment and sheltered workshops as evidence that residents with disabilities are, (1) not eligible for complimentary paratransit offered by Access Link, (2) reluctant to use Access Link due to operating rules and service reliability concerns, and (3) prefer to have a free service offered by DTS rather than use Access Link or fixed route public transportation.

3.0 Transportation Services and Needs

This section summarizes the existing network of transportation services in Gloucester County. It includes both fixed route public transportation and demand responsive paratransit services.

3.1 Existing Services, Needs and Improvement Opportunities

There are four major providers of public transportation service in Gloucester County. The primary fixed-route service provider is New Jersey Transit (NJT). Modified fixed route service for rural area residents and vocational rehabilitation clients is available from Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services (DTS), using County owned vehicles and private vendors. The largest providers of demand-responsive service are DTS and NJT's Access Link, the agency's ADA-mandated complementary paratransit service. Gloucester County also has fifteen (15) municipalities operating buses primarily for the personal business and recreational needs of senior citizens. There are also many smaller for profit and non-profit agencies in Gloucester County providing demand-responsive service. This section provides an overview of these existing services.

3.1.1 Fixed Route Bus Transportation

NJ Transit operates traditional line haul bus service with fixed routes on fixed schedules. DTS operates modified fixed route service for vocational rehabilitation clients throughout Gloucester County and for residents of rural areas.

NJ Transit

NJ Transit operates 11 regular bus routes in Gloucester County. The 11 routes consist of:

• Nine regional interstate routes providing service through Gloucester and Camden Counties to Philadelphia: 313, 315, 400, 401, 402, 403, 408, 410, 412
• Two intrastate routes: one regional (455) and one local (463).

All routes except the 412 and 463 operate seven days a week. The 313 and 315 are shore routes (Cape May to Philadelphia) with limited schedules. Other routes, such as the 401, 402, and the 410, operate limited service during the midday. This limited service may prove a hardship to riders relying on buses to get to employment centers, especially if the jobs require shift work during off peak hours. A recent positive development has been the announcement by NJ Transit that the #412 bus route which operates between Philadelphia,

Glassboro and Elsmere via the City of Woodbury will be revised in September 2002 to serve Rowan University.

The two intrastate bus routes serving the County provide regional and local access. The 455 bus travels from Paulsboro to the Cherry Hill Mall in Camden County. It travels through four other Gloucester County communities and the Deptford Mall, providing shopping and employment opportunities to those residents able to utilize this route. The 455 is the only NJ Transit route serving National Park, an area with a large percentage of transit dependent residents. Prior to the establishment of the 455 route, National Park had no public transportation access. The 463 route is the main east-west cross county bus route. It travels through densely populated areas such as Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Deptford Township, Washington Township, and Williamstown (Monroe Township).

Most of the WFNJ clients in Gloucester County live close to a NJ Transit bus route. A 1997 study by the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University for the NJ Department of Human Services, found that 60 percent of WFNJ clients in Gloucester County lived within ¼ mile of an NJ Transit bus route. This is the standard distance to consider transit service "close" in an urban area. Many of the residents close to transit are clustered in Woodbury, Westville, Clayton, Glassboro, Pitman and down the Black Horse Pike/Main Street corridor through Washington and Monroe Townships. This data is misleading since clients may be close to bus service, yet the inference that easy access exists is inaccurate since NJ Transit bus routes in Gloucester County are limited, poorly timed for transfers, and for the most part, operating in a north to south direction and not available to homes in many rural areas and areas lying beyond proper access to bus service.

Public Transit Needs and Improvements

Gloucester County has limited public transportation operating within its boundaries. As noted earlier, eleven regular bus routes are operated by NJ Transit through Gloucester County. Of these eleven routes, several offer very limited service through Gloucester County and most only offer service along major corridors north-south service from Philadelphia and Camden. The two bus routes acting as the exception are the #463 and #455 which offer east-west service options. While service between the county seat, the City of Woodbury, and Camden/Philadelphia is good, service for riders coming into Woodbury from the east, west and south and transferring onto other routes, east, west or southbound are for the most part poor, requiring an hour or more wait between connecting routes.

Transit Terminal

The ideal way to address the problems with inefficient transfers is to coordinate arrival times in Woodbury of all bus routes serving the City. For this to be feasible, it is necessary to have a Transit Terminal in Woodbury to accommodate all the bus routes arriving and departing in a simultaneous manner. The Terminal could also be established in the Borough of Westville since this municipality enjoys extensive NJ Transit fixed route bus service. Westville sits between the City of Woodbury and Camden. A Transit Terminal would act as the hub of transit-related activity in Gloucester County. Fixed route service as well as paratransit service would be received and generated from this facility. The operator of the site could have shared space agreements with Access Link, social service agencies, municipal operators, NJ Transit, DTS and possibly private transportation providers. Economies of scale would be realized in vehicle operations and technology sharing. The Terminal would need to be secure and offer passengers the basic amenities of shelter, rest rooms, telephone, etc.. The Transit Terminal would act as the clearinghouse for all transit information needs, and be an established NJ Transit ticket agent.

The Transit Terminal concept is important since the basic infrastructure of a multi-modal, coordinated public transportation system within Gloucester County does not exist. There is no passenger rail service. There are no official park and ride facilities. There are few bus shelters and few bus stop signs along established bus routes. There are only three NJ Transit ticket agent sites in Gloucester County, each with limited hours and/or limited passenger accessibility. The Terminal would provide a centralized site needed in Gloucester County to sell bus passes, distribute transit information and be the hub for coordinating both fixed route and paratransit services. If a large enough site could be found in Woodbury, or Westville, park and ride amenities could also be made available as part of the Transit Terminal.

Passenger Rail Service

The positive impact on traffic congestion and pollution that a passenger rail line and park and ride facilities would bring to Gloucester County is substantial. Along Route 42 in Washington and Deptford Townships, traffic congestion continues to be a significant problem. Recent studies conducted by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and NJ Transit on the issues of rail service and park and ride in Gloucester County continue to be focused upon the Route 42 corridor.

In 1993, DVRPC published the report entitled, "Burlington/Gloucester Corridor Assessment", which looked at three transit technologies to serve Gloucester County between the Borough of Glassboro in the southern portion of Gloucester County and the City of Camden which has existing PATCO service to Philadelphia. Two of the technologies are already available - PATCO and NJ Transit Bus - and the remaining technology, Light Rail, would be newly introduced. In the report, there were two variations of the PATCO technology examined: a Full PATCO and a modified PATCO.

The Full PATCO technology, identical to the existing PATCO high speed line, would utilize highway rights of way; namely, NJ 42 and NJ 55 in the Gloucester County corridor. The Modified PATCO, Light Rail or NJ Transit bus technology would utilize the existing railroad rights of way between Camden and Glassboro. The third technology, the busway, is an option to speed up NJ Transit's network of interstate bus routes by offering exclusive bus only roadways along the existing railroad rights of way, some of which are out of service or lightly used.

Park and Ride

Park and Ride options have been well studied in Gloucester County, yet there is only one small Park and Ride lot in Gloucester County (see listing of studies in Appendix E). The one lot is located at the intersection of State Highway #45 and Cedar Road in Harrison Township. This lot has approximately twenty parking spaces. There are no bus shelters, lighting, bathrooms or other basic amenities at this established Park and Ride lot. The lot is not heavily utilized, and unless expanded and promoted, the lot is unable to offer great significance to the traffic congestion issues in Gloucester County.

The most prevalent need for Park and Ride lots is along the Route 42 corridor in Washington Township and Route 55 corridor in Deptford Township. 2000 census data indicates that commuters in Washington Township and Deptford Township are ranked #1 and #5 respectively for longest one way commutes to work (31.4 minutes and 25.4 minutes). The studies have also identified sites in Woodbury (#6 ranking @ 25.1 minutes) and Glassboro (#4 ranking @ 27.7 minutes) as well as a few other areas in Gloucester County. The inability to establish a park and ride site in Gloucester County to date is a concern since congestion continues to increase daily. Figures from 1998 indicate traffic volumes of 127,789 vehicles daily using Route 42 in Deptford Township in the area between Rt. 55 and the Camden County line. This volume of traffic leading to employment sites in Philadelphia, Camden and Camden County suburbs (i.e., Cherry Hill) is more than double any traffic counts available on other major roadways in Gloucester County and underscores the need for the intervention of public transit options.

The Avandale Park and Ride facility located in Sicklerville, in Camden County is a resource to Gloucester County since it lies just beyond the County border with several NJ Transit bus lines operating to/from this facility and through Gloucester County. The Avandale Park and Ride is near the Atlantic City Expressway. The location is quite advantageous for Gloucester County residents who may work at Atlantic City casinos or Monroe Township residents who wish to use NJ Transit buses #400 or #551 into Camden and Philadelphia or #463 into Deptford or Woodbury. Overall, this Park and Ride site is limited for Gloucester County residents offering little relief to the traffic congestion occurring for northbound vehicles on Routes 42 and 55 (originating north of Monroe Township).

Despite frequent references by NJ Transit officials regarding the construction of Park and Ride facilities in Gloucester County, including a November 26, 1996 NJ Transit Board meeting whereby Directors approved "an interim bus improvement program in Gloucester County which would feature the development of express bus service and upgrades to existing Park and Ride facilities", Gloucester County remains with only one small Park and Ride facility in Harrison Township. In 2002, officials proposed funding to construct a site at Fries Mill Road and Hurfville Cross-Keys Road in Washington Township. To date, a commitment to fund this project has not been made.

Improve Access to the Pureland Industrial Complex

The Pureland Industrial Complex is located adjacent to Interstate 295 in Logan Township, in southwestern Gloucester County. Pureland is home to over 100 employers, including several companies with 100 or more employees. By auto, the complex is easily accessible from either I-295 or U.S. Route 130. For those without access to personal transportation, Pureland is served by the NJ Transit Route 402 bus, which runs from Pennsville to Philadelphia, passing through the Gloucester County communities of Beckett, Gibbstown, Paulsboro, Woodbury and Westville. Recently, another large industrial park, Northeast Industrial Park, has located adjacent to Pureland along Center Square Road. More recently, the NJ Transit bus route #402 was revised in June 2002 to better serve Salem County residents working in Pureland Industrial Park.

The 402 runs six northbound and seven southbound weekday trips to the Pureland area, with limited service on Saturdays and on Sundays. The current schedule is based on arriving and departing Center City Philadelphia during typical commuting hours, not the diverse work schedules at an industrial park such as Pureland which is the largest in New Jersey. Therefore, NJ Transit bus service is not suitable for employees on the many different shifts used by the companies at Pureland.

An afternoon trip has been added, leaving Philadelphia at 2:30pm arriving in the Pureland area shortly after 4:00pm and continues to Pennsville. The two trips presently terminating at Beckett Village at 5:59pm and 6:29pm will continue to Pennsville. In addition, all trips operating to and from Pennsville will operate via Center Square Road between Beckett Village and Route #130 to serve Northeast Business Park and the Pureland companies in the Center Square Road area. Gloucester County staff recommends that NJ Transit seek additional bus route improvements to Pureland, including an expansion of NJ Transit bus service between Pureland, and the Paulsboro, Woodbury, Westville, Camden area to affect greater employment opportunities to Pureland for Gloucester and Camden County residents. Also, staff recommends that the present #402 northbound trip leaving Beckett at 4:06pm should originate at Route 130 and Center Square Road or Home Depot to serve workers arriving at Center Square location on the 7:11am and 8:20am trips from Paulsboro, Woodbury and points north. County Planning staff has previously advised NJ Transit of this recommendation. NJ Transit will revise the 4:06pm trip to serve Center Square Road effective with the August 31, 2002 schedule change.

Pureland, Commodore and Northeast Industrial Parks are major locations for current and future jobs in the region.

The WFNJ Transportation Committee has continued to work on improving access to Pureland, and is working with individual employers. The Committee has identified a number of possible programs, also, which are presented below for consideration:

• Work with Industrial Park employers to encourage employer sponsored transportation solutions. The Committee has initiated contact with the Pureland Complex management to open discussions about this option.
• Alter the existing #402 schedule to improve service to the Pureland site, especially northbound during the afternoon peak commuter hours.
• Extend the existing NJ Transit #455 route to Pureland to help fill the gaps in service, especially in the afternoon.

In October 2000, Gloucester County used Demonstration funds from the NJ Department of Human Services to establish limited shuttle bus service to the Pureland Industrial Park. The Division of Transportation Services operated the Pureland shuttle service. The service operated one trip in the morning from the Township of Deptford and the City of Woodbury to Pureland and one return trip in the afternoon. The scheduled times were developed to coordinate with existing NJ Transit bus service operating in these towns.

The Pureland shuttle service attracted 5-6 riders per day with the limited service schedule. In January 2002, Gloucester County entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Camden County Improvement Authority (CCIA) to pay the CCIA to operate the service for a per diem fee. This agreement was developed since the CCIA was operating similar service at similar times of the day. The major difference with the Memorandum of Understanding is that now the service is being expanded to include all three work shifts at the Pureland Industrial Park.

In addition to service expansion to Pureland under the agreement with CCIA, Gloucester County is also seeking to serve Pureland as well as the southern and western portions of the County (Glassboro and Williamstown terminating at the Avandale Park and Ride) with the recent submission of a FY' 2002 Job Access and Reverse Commute grant request to the Federal Transit Administration. The approval of this grant request, along with anticipated marketing efforts in cooperation with Cross County Connection, will provide significantly greater access to the Pureland Industrial Park for many Gloucester County residents.

Establish Additional NJ Transit Ticket Agencies

NJ Transit offers pre-paid fares for its regular riders as both a discount and a convenience from paying the full cash fare for each trip. This includes unlimited ride monthly passes and tickets. These fare media are sold at a variety of outlets (NJ Transit facilities and private vendors) as well as through the mail.

There are over 100 locations where the public can purchase NJ Transit tickets and passes throughout New Jersey. Gloucester County has only three (with a fourth site in the near future at Rowan University). These are: Gloucester County College, the Abilities Center and the NJ Transit Washington Township Bus Garage. None of these sites are very convenient for the average bus rider. The College location primarily serves students and staff at the college; the Abilities Center serves their workers and the bus garage is a difficult site to access. Passes also can be purchased by mail, but that process takes several days and requires the purchaser to send a check as payment, which may not be readily available for low income individuals who may not have a checking account.

Gloucester County and NJ Transit have invested significant effort in encouraging WFNJ participants and other county residents to ride the bus and do so with a monthly pass or tickets. WFNJ participants receive a pass through the Work Pass Program and become accustomed to this method of fare payment. However, once they enter the work force and are no longer eligible for Work Pass, they have limited opportunities to continue to purchase a pass and remain a committed bus rider.

The Committee has brought this lack of ticket agencies to the attention of NJ Transit and offered suggestions of candidate locations for new ticket agencies, including area banks and a local supermarket chain. The Committee also made contact with local Shop Rite supermarkets to explore their interest in serving as ticket outlets and passed this information on to NJ Transit staff. In spite of recent efforts no new ticket outlets have been added in Gloucester County. NJ Transit officials are encouraged to redouble their efforts to secure more ticket agencies in Gloucester County, particularly in the Woodbury and Williamstown areas.

Hold NJ Transit Education Programs in Gloucester County

NJ Transit has an established program to orient the public to riding transit. The Transit Education Program disseminates information on public transportation availability to various groups including social and human service agency clients, non-profit groups, elementary and high school children, senior citizen groups, and similar organizations.

The Committee already has made a request that NJ Transit conduct this program in Gloucester County. The Transit Education Program would encourage the use of public transportation by educating residents about their transit options and giving them a personalized, hands-on orientation to the specific services in their area.

The Transit Education Program for Gloucester County could be conducted directly by NJ Transit staff, or through an arrangement with an appropriate County department, possibly the Planning Division staff under the Department of Public Works. Their staff is aware of regional and public transit issues, and has an overall knowledge of county and local services. The Planning Division Transportation Division staff currently disseminate transit information by telephone, mail, maintain and update transit racks along with distributing information to local libraries, county offices and municipal offices. The continued distribution of transit information, along with expansion into educational programs and transit marketing programs would be well served with a dedicated funding source to properly support county staff time in all these activities.

The development of a web site to provide information on transit services in Gloucester County and the surrounding region would augment efforts to distribute information and promote transit use. As more senior citizens and persons with disabilities along with the general public have access to personal computers, it makes sense to have transit information available in a website format. The website could offer hot links directly to NJ Transit, social service agencies, the Division of Transportation Services (DTS), Access Link and municipal websites that contain transit information. In an effort to reach those without access to a computer, consideration should also be given to establishing a 1-800 number for County transit information.

Paratransit Services

Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services (DTS)

Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services, under the Department of Human Services, is a transportation service provided by the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders for senior, rural, low income, and disabled residents of the county. The Division of Transportation Services (DTS) receives federal and state grant funds and county funds specifically for the transport of senior citizens (age 60+), qualified persons with disabilities and Medicaid eligible residents via a contract with the Gloucester County Board of Social Services. In 2001, DTS provided 93,808 rides.

DTS is considered the primary provider of paratransit services in Gloucester County. DTS operates its own fleet of 36 vehicles (fifteen of which are lift-equipped) and has four (4) private sub-contractors under contract. DTS places most of its' staff effort in the provision of non-emergency medical transportation. Approximately 15% of total trips are sub-contracted to private providers, with the majority of trips performed by private operators being reimbursed via Medicaid. The most commonly contracted out trips are weekend dialysis and early and late day weekday trips that extend beyond standard DTS business hours. DTS also contracts with the American Red Cross of Gloucester County to provide dialysis transportation for county residents. DTS occasionally provides transport to various County events and accepts special service requests from social service agencies.

DTS operates five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday service is provided from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to drug treatment centers by DTS drivers. Service is provided throughout the day on Saturday by private operators, but is usually limited to dialysis transportation. Service is provided on a curb to curb basis. The DTS service area encompasses all of Gloucester County and most of Camden County, with limited weekday service to Philadelphia and Cumberland County. Trips are provided free of charge but voluntary donations are accepted from passengers to help defray costs. Requests for transportation service to medical appointments must be received at least three days prior to the appointment.

In the category of fixed and subscription type bus service, DTS operates one modified fixed route and three subscription type bus routes throughout Gloucester County. The one modified fixed route service is the rural bus route that runs four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The bus uses a different route on each day, traveling from the rural sections of the county in the west and south to the more populated areas north and east, providing access to the shopping, medical and recreation centers in those towns. DTS also operates three vocational bus routes that provide subscription type transportation for developmentally disabled adults from their homes throughout the County to the Abilities Center of Gloucester County and the St. John of God School. Both facilities are located on Delsea Drive (Rt. 47) in Deptford Township; both provide vocational counseling and other work related services for their clients. DTS currently transports 46 residents to these sites for work activities.

During the past several years, DTS has performed more employment related transportation in response to welfare to work initiatives. This service has included feeder type service, transporting residents from their homes to local bus stops to use NJ Transit bus service. There has also been direct services by taking a person to/from their homes to the job site, and in October 2000, DTS provided modified fixed route service to the Pureland Industrial Park from the municipalities of Deptford Township and City of Woodbury. The Pureland Shuttle was funded with a one year Demonstration Grant. In January 2002, the service was continued through a coordination agreement with the Camden County Improvement Authority.

The trend toward having the county service become more of a community transportation provider continues to evolve. No longer are county systems such as DTS being asked solely for medical rides. The varied transit needs of senior citizens, persons with disabilities, rural residents and low-income residents are forcing paratransit systems to integrate funding sources to consolidate and expand the service delivery system. According to DTS staff, service priorities continue to be the same for transit-dependent populations, with the elderly seeking medical rides, the non-elderly physically disabled seeking employment-related rides, mentally and emotionally disabled seeking rides to treatment and medical programs, welfare recipients and working poor seeking employment related rides and, according to the Workforce Investment Board, GDL affected youth are primarily in need of rides to employment opportunities. The primary change to service needs, according to DTS staff, lies not only in the increased volume of rides requested to service priorities among transit dependent groups but also the number of rides requested among the groups to the secondary and tertiary priorities, such as: food shopping, recreation, socialization and educational opportunities.

NJ Transit Access Link

Access Link is NJ Transit's complementary paratransit service, developed in response to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 (ADA). The ADA required all public transportation systems to provide comparable paratransit service to individuals who are unable to use local bus service as a result of their disability. Access Link is a curb to curb transportation service for eligible people with disabilities. Eligibility is determined by NJ Transit following intake by a designated local social service agency (i.e., a County Office for the Disabled).

Access Link trips are limited to pick up and drop off points within ¾ of a mile of an eligible (non-commuter) NJT bus route. Access Link is designed to complement service available on local bus routes. As a result, transfers between vehicles may be necessary on longer trips. Hours of Access Link service are the same as regularly scheduled local bus service, including weekends and holidays. Fares are the same full fare as local bus service. A designated Personal Assistant may accompany the passenger free of charge. Access Link is available for all kinds of trips (e.g. educational, employment, recreational and shopping). There are no restrictions on the type of trip taken. Arrangements for transportation are made through a toll free telephone reservation system and can be made up to 14 days in advance, but no later than the day before the trip at 4 p.m.. Passengers make a requested pick up time; however, there is a 20-minute window allowed for Access Link pick-ups. This means the actual pick up time can be as much as 20 minutes before or after the requested pick up time.

Access Link contracts all of the paratransit service to private operators in six service regions throughout the state. Gloucester County is in Access Link Region 2, which is served by Laidlaw Transportation, Inc..

Municipal Services

Fifteen (15) municipalities throughout Gloucester County provide a modified form of fixed-route transportation service. These services are oriented to senior citizens and available to persons with disabilities that live in their particular community. In some cases, the services may be limited to these users, rather than being available to the general public.

These services usually run three to five days a week. Typically, the routes are flexible and varied on alternating days and weeks to accommodate different destinations on the route. The municipal buses collectively provide over 100,000 rides per year. The services operate independent of each other, with no formal coordination agreements or centralized dispatching. Municipalities providing community bus service include:

• Clayton
• Deptford
• Franklin Township
• Glassboro
• Logan Township
• Mantua Township
• Monroe Township
• Paulsboro
• Pitman
• Washington Township
• West Deptford
• Westville
• Woodbury
• Woodbury Heights/Wenonah

Paratransit Needs and Service Gaps

Senior Citizens

The disabled and non-disabled senior citizens of Gloucester County can use several available transportation alternatives such as fixed route public transportation, modified fixed route services provided by municipalities, demand responsive services provided by DTS and limited service provided by human service agencies.

The primary service gap that exists for senior citizens is capacity related, where demand for transportation exceeds the supply. This has been identified as a major concern by DTS and could become a greater problem in the future as the general population ages. As people get older, their ability to rely on the a private automobile to drive to all destinations declines and the need for transportation alternatives increases. Other service gaps for senior citizens are related to the need for out of county or out of state transportation as well as the inability of senior citizens to access a vehicle at the curb line without considerable assistance.

There are different levels of service available to senior citizens based on the type of trip requested. Currently, DTS is operating at full capacity for medical related transportation for seniors. DTS has reported an increasing number of trip denials or delays in providing transportation services because of the increasing demand, which may include trips for some of the most serious medical related needs, such as dialysis, radiation therapy, other therapy services outside of the County. Anecdotal evidence also points to the need for increased requests for trips associated with changes in medical procedures (e.g. shorter hospital stays, more out-patient procedures, access to pre-surgical tests and post-surgical therapy). There is also evidence that there is diminished support structure of family and friends to provide transportation for senior citizens. Routine medical appointments that do not meet DTS service criteria also are being denied or delayed. There also is insufficient capacity to fulfill trip demands for personal business, adult day care, and social activities. DTS reports an increase in the number of personal trip requests, such as visitation trips for family members to nursing care facilities, social activities for shut-ins, and trips to nutrition centers and other senior related services. In addition, able bodied seniors, who do not own or operate an automobile, want to be active members of society.

The need for expanded, affordable transportation options, including the use of NJ Transit bus service should be encouraged where available. Seniors pay half-fare. This option will promote mobility for all trip purposes, including recreational and social activities.

Another area of transportation that is quickly growing for senior citizens and their families is the need to access adult day care centers. To date, in Gloucester County, three primary providers of this service to senior citizens, Guardian Adult Day Care, Senior Care and Communicare, all provide their own vehicles to transport their clientele. However, each agency has expressed an interest in talking to the Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services (DTS) to discuss service coordination issues.

Persons with Disabilities

Providing transportation services to persons with disabilities is complicated by the fact that they are not a homogeneous group as sometimes perceived. For example, blind individuals may require transportation services to work, personal business, medical appointments, shopping and all other daily requirements. On the other hand, a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic may only require transportation on days when his/her specialized lift-equipped van is not operating. These diverse situations and needs must be taken into account when addressing service gaps and transportation alternatives for persons with disabilities. Transportation solutions for persons with disabilities may need to be as varied as the population itself.

In Gloucester County, transportation to the disabled is provided by three primary providers of service; namely, NJ Transit fixed-route services, Access Link bus services (operated by NJ Transit) and the County paratransit provider, DTS. The best example of these three transportation resources in use for disabled residents is to observe transportation provided to the Abilities Center sheltered workshop facility in Deptford, NJ. On any given weekday morning at approximately 9:00 a.m., developmentally disabled young adults arrive at this location by the three modes of transportation previously listed. Abilities Center officials estimate that approximately 120 clients per day use either NJ Transit, Access Link or County paratransit to arrive at their facility. Although the different functioning levels of the clients may explain the use of varied transportation modes, it is highly likely a considerable percentage of clients could use all three (3) transportation services.

This assumption then begs the question, how much service duplication is occurring and how do we best utilize these three services to the benefit of the disabled population for all types of transportation needs? This plan argues that these three services should be working in formal cooperation/coordination with one another. Issues to be considered to promote coordination of service are listed below:

1. Formal Transportation Assessment - Due to the varied cognitive, emotional and physical abilities of persons with disabilities, a proper assessment should be performed by a qualified individual(s) to determine the ability of a person (following secondary schooling) to use the different types of transportation which are available.

The assessment would also be able to determine whether or not a person may need some individualized, or other type, training, to allow them to become better prepared to use a certain type of transit.

2. Public Transit Education - County staff has found, through their work on the monthly bus pass program for WFNJ clients, that many people are unaware of bus routes operating in Gloucester County and/or how to use public transportation. Formal education efforts targeted for disabled residents, senior citizens and other populations would promote public transportation usage.

3. Feeder Service - The concept of Feeder Service assumes that people can use different modes of transportation. DTS has been successful in transporting some disabled individuals from their homes to fixed-route bus service. As mentioned previously, feeder service needs to be expanded to allow persons with disabilities to use several modes of transportation for their daily activities.

4. Travel Training - Travel training for persons with disabilities is a key ingredient to public transit use and intermodal travel. Teaching individuals with disabilities how to pay fares, where to board buses and other pertinent information may lead to life-long public transportation use.
   
   
5. Transit Passes - The issuance of multiple trip tickets or monthly transit passes can be extremely helpful to all passengers of transit services, but particularly to persons with disabilities. Sometimes the handling of money and understanding denominations (making change) can be a barrier to certain individuals. The ability for someone to have one boarding pass for all types of transit service is particularly relevant for the disabled population. For example, in Sydney, Australia, a person can purchase a one week, or one month unlimited use transit pass for ferry, bus or rail travel. A similar type of pass for County paratransit, Access Link and NJ Transit fixed-route service would be a tremendous long term goal in providing services to persons with disabilities.

Service coordination efforts

Coordinate DTS and NJ Transit Access Link Service

Throughout this planning process, there were statements made regarding the need for improvements to NJ Transit Access Link service. Both Access Link and DTS are operating demand-responsive service to persons with disabilities in Gloucester County. DTS serves clients of agencies that have contracted with this program for transportation. Access Link provides complementary paratransit trips mandated of NJ Transit by the ADA. To address the perceived overlap of services, NJ Transit and DTS have agreed to cooperate on a pilot project to coordinate their paratransit services. One possibility might be that DTS operates the trips within the County for NJ Transit ADA-eligible riders while Access Link provides the longer trips out of the county (particularly to Philadelphia) that DTS otherwise would provide. The pilot project is in the very early planning stages; no specific programs or services have been created at this time. However, this is the type of coordinated planning effort that is being encouraged by State and Federal transportation and social service agencies. It is a strong start to coordinated transportation planning between the state and county level.

Coordinate with Municipal Services

As discussed in Section 3.0 of this report, several municipalities in Gloucester County provide modified fixed route transportation service for their residents. The Committee recommends that these services be included as part of the County's coordinated transportation system. Local considerations are a factor which limit the ability of municipal operators to participate in a comprehensive, coordinated service system. Since the municipal services tend to operate mid-day, limited service may be offered to municipal residents during peak hours without interrupting the existing municipal services. There have been initial discussions with Deptford and Washington Townships concerning participation; both townships have indicated a willingness to be involved.

Other Social Service Agency Transportation Providers

The research conducted identified seven other providers of demand responsive transportation services in Gloucester County. These services are oriented to the needs of agency clients. The following list of providers was compiled from responses to a survey. It is not a comprehensive list of every available provider, but those who responded to the inquiry. The social service agency providers identified include the following:

• American Red Cross, Woodbury - Four vehicles and volunteer drivers provide medical and blood supply transportation to all of South Jersey and Philadelphia.
• ARC of Gloucester County, Woodbury - This is the major social service transportation provider in Gloucester County. With the use of several agency vehicles and contracts with private bus companies, ARC transports 273 residents per day to/from group homes and various work/training sites.
• Senior Care, Turnersville - Assisted Living Center and provider of Adult Day Care. Provides medical, shopping and recreational transportation, evenings Monday-Friday, 8am - 6pm and Saturday 9 am-2pm. Facility has four 14 passenger vehicles.
• St. John of God Community Services, Deptford - Provides recreational and school related transportation only throughout the year.
• Guardian Adult Medical Day Care, Glassboro - Provides transportation Monday - Friday, 9am - 3pm. Agency uses 8 vehicles to provide medical, shopping and recreational transportation. Vehicles restricted to agency use only.

Faith Based Organizations

In 2001, by Executive Order, President George W. Bush established the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI). The OFBCI gave the Federal Government a new role as supporter, enabler, catalyst and collaborator with faith-based organizations. The new office was given the mission of helping religious and community groups obtain federal dollars to fund social service work.

Under this new legislation, transportation to people in need was one of the eligible categories for federal dollars. Two Gloucester County churches along with a faith-based agency have taken the lead in this initiative by offering transportation services. The two churches are, 2^nd Baptist Church in Paulsboro, NJ, and St. Matthews Church in Williamstown, NJ. The agency is South Jersey Creative Wellness located in Pitman, NJ. South Jersey Creative Wellness has purchased three vehicles and recently executed a contract with the Gloucester County Division of Transportation Services (DTS) to perform medical-related transportation services for the County of Gloucester.

Summary

Opportunities abound for transportation services to be improved throughout Gloucester County. From public transit initiatives, to initiatives in the area of paratransit, there continues to be a tremendous social and economic value to improving the current network of transportation services. Socio-economic factors such as: people living longer, people with disabilities being more active and working, welfare recipients being mandated to join the workforce, suburban employers, and increasing traffic congestion; all contribute to the need to invest in our transportation network. These factors suggest that additional well-placed investment is needed now, since waiting will result in diminished opportunity and only greater challenges ahead.

Improvements outlined in this Plan, and highlighted within the Executive Summary, have the potential to enhance the mobility of transit dependent populations and offer a better quality of life for all Gloucester County residents. Short-term improvements like paratransit service coordination and expanding the Division of Transportation Services program will translate into more rides immediately for transit dependent residents. The longer range view; with properly placed park and ride lots, passenger rail service from the Glassboro area and the establishment of a Transit Terminal will result in broad social and economic benefits to the residents of Gloucester County.

The development of a well coordinated network of public and private mobility providers, along with the introduction of new transit initiatives, are the challenges ahead for planners and policy makers alike. The Executive Summary of this Plan highlights the transportation issues in front of us. This document outlines the needs and possible solutions but, more importantly, this document provides a vision and a tool for planners and policy makers to use to create a better passenger transportation system for all residents of Gloucester County.