Jitney service provides a convenience to riders throughout the busy summer season.
Those ubiquitous green and white jitneys that ply the streets of Sea Isle City every summer will be a little more expensive to ride next year.
Passengers hopping on the jitneys for rides before 11 p.m. will pay $3, compared to the one-way fare of $2 last summer. The one-way fare will remain the same at $4 for rides after 11 p.m.
City Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday to raise the fare. The measure is up for a public hearing and final vote at the Dec. 24 Council meeting at 10 a.m. in City Hall.
Although the jitneys are independently owned, the city regulates them and must approve a fare hike, City Solicitor Paul Baldini said.
The fare increase scheduled to take effect next year would be the first ever for Sea Isle’s jitneys, Baldini said.
“We looked around and it’s comparable to what other towns have done,” Baldini said of higher fares for jitney service in other communities.
Baldini told Council that the Sea Isle Jitney Association, the group representing the owners, approached city officials to ask for the fare increase to help pay for higher expenses, including fuel and insurance costs.
The jitneys run seven days a week from July to Septembers on their regular route along Landis Avenue between the base of the Townsends Inlet Bridge on 94th Street in the southern part of town and 29th Street in the north end.
Their summer hours are 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily up to Labor Day. They are popular with people going to dinner, hitting the bars and for families just enjoying a night out on the town.
They are also available to hire for special occasions such as weddings, proms, parties, golf outings and other private events.
