Bordentown City’s downtown business district has long been known as a haven for locals to shop and dine, but its accessibility to residents from the surrounding area has always had one major hurdle to overcome – parking.
In an effort to combat that issue, city officials announced a partnership with the Downtown Business Association to announce a new shuttle service from 5-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“We’ve been talking about this for many years in some shape or form – parking has always been a premium in the city,” said City Mayor James Lynch.
For locals who wish to visit, shop or eat in the downtown area, free parking is available at the Carslake Community Center and Gilder Field Park, where the 15-passenger shuttle will pick up passengers and transport them downtown at no cost.
Running every 15 to 20 minutes, the shuttle will make three stops along its designated route, which will drop riders off at the Crosswicks Street and Farnsworth Avenue intersection, Railroad Avenue and Farnsworth intersection and the Second and East Church streets intersection.
According to the city mayor, the shuttle service is currently going through a “pilot run” to see how effective it is, as well as to determine which hours are most suitable to accommodate local residents.
As the shuttle service teams up with the Downtown Business Association, its president, C.J. Mugavero, believes it’s a great opportunity for the local shop and restaurant owners to attract clientele to the area whom may have been deterred away from the city’s crowded roads.
“As a resident of Bordentown City, a business owner on Farnsworth Avenue and the current president of the Downtown Bordentown Association, I have many reasons to be thrilled with the new city shuttle,” said Mugavero. “As our busy ‘One Square-Mile’ city attracts visitors and residents alike, the City of Bordentown shuttle is a most welcome and important spoke on the wheel when addressing available parking.”
As the shuttle service aims to relieve the parking situation downtown, Mayor Lynch says its route and hours of operation are susceptible to change and expansion.
“As we see the holidays come upon us here, then we’ll look to expand its use to Thursday and maybe even Sunday, but we’ll see how it goes,” said Lynch. “As we see it grow, we can maybe run it out to hotel that’s in the city on Route 206 or maybe a run to the train station – we’re going to be flexible on our route – it’s a work in progress.”