Brick officials have included in this year’s capital budget, approved at a recent council meeting, a bus that will be used to transport senior citizens to and from shopping centers and other locations.
The township currently provides the transportation service using former school buses, but officials say the school buses lack handicap-accessible doors and other features that seniors often require.
“We are purchasing one and getting another from a grant,” said Mayor John Ducey. “It will take our seniors off the school buses they are now traveling on and getting them into a real handicap bus.”
Brick’s senior outreach office provides transportation every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Monday and Wednesday routes transport seniors from the south side of town (using the Metedeconk River as a boundary) and the Tuesday and Thursday routes serve residents of northern Brick. The buses transport seniors to Brick’s shopping centers. On two Fridays each month, except during the summer, the buses take seniors to the Ocean County Mall. There is also daily transportation to the senior nutrition site at the senior center.
The price of the bus is not yet known. Though its cost is included in the overall $8.5 million capital budget, it must be put out to bid before a contract is awarded for purchase.
“It’s going to be a happy day for our seniors getting into real buses instead of piling into school buses,” said Ducey.
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Editor’s Note: Seniors interested in using the service are asked to call 732-785-3000, extension 2077 at least 24 hours before they require transportation.
