The promising JITNEY trial run, from Atlantic City thru Ventnor & Margate has run out of (natural) gas.
Poor vacationer awareness of Jitney service, lack of route info, driver confusion, poor marketing, and the rise of UBER are key reasons why Jitney ridership was almost non-existent in the Downbeach area…. even though there is documented demand for this service.
Margate & Ventnor commissioners gave it 45 days to see if it would work. Even extra-heavy promotion on the local radio stations provided no boost in ridership. The Jitney Association ignored recent reports showing substantial decline in local radio listenership. In essence, the audience the Jitney Association needed to reach (vacationers & visitors) …were never reached. These potential Jitney users do not consistently listen to local radio or read the local papers.
Our 2 cents: The demand for Jitney service in Margate & Ventnor is there. FACT: the 45 day trial run was poorly executed & marketed. Local radio reports on WOND 1400 are false, as they wrongly proclaim ‘there was no demand’.
Reader feedback:
Isaac Brumer I wanted this to succeed and tried this twice. Time #1, 10 jitneys passed and each driver had a different story whether or not there’s service. I went with the NJT 505 which I usually use. Time#2, it took 2 jitneys to get to Margate. 1 to get me to Jackson & Ventnor, where I waited 15 minutes for the jitney that loops through Downbeach. While there, I got to see a disorderly person and another jitney driver fighting (and the police intervention). When the second jitney arrived, the driver told me that I actually should have been dropped off on Atlantic, not Ventnor. 10 PM on a Friday, I was the only customer. All in all, most customers would not put up with my experience. Putting something like this (or something like open container on the boardwalk) in place takes time, effort, planning, publicity and staff. You can’t do these things at the drop of a hat.
Milton W. Glenn III There’s been no real promotion of the service, the drivers don’t seem to know anything about the Ventnor and Margate route, and Jitney stops aren’t even marked for those who want to utilize the service. If the drivers aren’t aware and won’t travel downbeach, what is the point?
Tori Edmiston This is a great service for the whole island but poorly organized. There are no signs for the stops in ventnor…people don’t know when or where to stand and wait.
Anastasia Taboada I live on Jackson Avenue and would love to use the Jitney to go to Margate bars and restaurants but there is no information of times or stops on Jitney website… I asked a driver and he had no information either.
Ellie Dinoia-Sclocchini The JITNEY website lacked information -wanted to use the service from Ventnor to outlets and had no clue where the closest stop was..forced to call Uber
Jay Eger A disappointment in Ventnor, 4 stops and none past the library. Looks like a wasted opportunity.
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