As Toms River Continues to grow the issue of transportation and getting around the area in an efficient and reliable manner that is already faced will only continue to get worse. With a population of nearly 100,000, the only real option to get around Toms River and the surrounding areas is to own a car or spending hours walking an area that was never designed to be walked. OceanRide buses do exist, but only really serve specific senior communities on specific days. NJ Transit bus lines do run through the region, but not with well enough drawn lines at a high enough frequency to be truly useful for travel within TR itself. 

This problem has gotten worse over the last few years as 5,000 people have moved to TR since 2020, and will only continue to get worse as TR continues to develop, grow, and expand. The only Ocean County municipality with a higher population is Lakewood, with 135,000 and a much worse issue with traffic congestion and similar road infrastructure.

The solution to this issue is simple, but we must be proactive instead of reactive. Building the foundation of a strong public transportation network with a Tram/Streetcar Line running from Downtown Toms River to Ocean County College up Hooper Avenue. Imagine if instead of OCC students during their gaps clogging up Hooper on their drives to the Mall for lunch could just hop on the tram and not only get there in an easy, reliable fashion but even faster than driving would be to give them more time to eat, shop, and hang out with their friends during their gaps.

Alternatively, imagine a TR resident living south of Route 37 being able to easily get to the mall which just a 5 minute walk away from Bay Lea Park to shop or to have a leisurely day, just by getting on the tram stop in Downtown. Public transportation is a great easy way to make the community feel more connected, and have closer connections across a longer area, along with reliably moving people where they need and want to go.

This would alleviate a lot of stress on Hooper itself, as well as surrounding arterial roads and would be the proof of concept that a public transportation network is what Toms River needs, and will only need more and more as time goes on. Further lines could serve the areas toward Fischer Blvd, South TR, Bay Lea Dr or most attractively down RT 37 towards the beach.

Join me in advocating for connecting the beautiful community of Toms River through walkability, public transportation, and new, modern infrastructure.