During an Aug. 20 event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Gov. Phil Murphy announced several initiatives aimed at supporting South Jersey in one of its most critical challenges: transportation.

“South Jersey’s transportation challenges are not just well-known, they are critical and escalating,” said Christina Renna, president and CEO, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. CCSNJ hosted the event Murphy spoke at. “The reality is that as your travel further south, mass transit options diminish significantly.”

Murphy announced:

• An expanded electric bus fleet in Camden with eight new buses in total
• A new express shuttle bus pilot between Atlantic City and Vineland that will launch this fall
  • Shuttle will provide two round trips each weekday
  • Direct service will run between the Vineland Transportation Center and the Atlantic City Bus Terminal
  • The South Jersey Transportation Authority will operate the one-year pilot, with support from NJ Transit
• A $5 million investment of one-time federal funding to support the expansion of microtransit across South Jersey. He said this will improve service on “eds and meds” corridors

The governor underscored his administration’s commitment to strengthening public transportation in all corners of the state.

“These new transportation options in South Jersey will not only better connect residents to jobs, schools and health care, but also lay the foundation for a stronger and more interconnected regional economy,” said Murphy.

“The Chamber has been a relentless advocate for enhanced transportation solutions throughout the region, fighting for vital infrastructure investments and filling service gaps,” said Renna. “The governor’s announcement addresses these pressing issues directly and we are incredibly grateful for his responsiveness to our Chamber’s concerns.”

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri added, “Having sustainable transportation options in the most densely populated state is not just a wish-list item – it is critical to the environmental future of New Jersey and essential for powering our economy for generations to come.”