FAQs

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Fare-Free Transportation

1. What is Fare-Free Transportation?: The Cape May County Fare-Free Transportation Program provides daily modified fixed-route, subscription, and demand-responsive bus transportation.

2. Who is eligible to ride Fare-Free Transportation?: Cape May County provides free transportation to senior citizens, disabled residents, veterans, individuals of low-income and general residents living in Cape May County.

3. How do I use Fare-Free Transportation?: Riders must have an identification card to use the Fare-Free vehicles. Please call the office at 609-889-3700. A call-taker will ask you the necessary information and assign you a ridership ID number (your card will be mailed to you). Please have this number handy every time you call Fare-Free to make an appointment.

4. What services are available to me?: Transportation is provided for almost any purpose as long as we travel to your location and we have room on the vehicle. Some purposes include dialysis; physical, speech, and occupational therapy; non-emergency medical appointments; employment; nutritional sites; personal business (bank, hairdresser, etc.); and shopping.

5. Do you provide transportation to facilities/doctors outside of Cape May County?: Yes. We do go to medical facilities outside of Cape May County. Please refer to schedules to find the days, times, and areas or you may call our office at 609-889-3700 for this information. Service Schedules (PDF)

6. Do I need a reservation and if so, how do I make one?: No. Reservations are not required to ride the modified fixed-route buses. Check the time schedules and routes for your area and stand on any corner of the route. Riders may get off and on at any corner along the route and are encouraged to use these buses for more than just shopping. All the buses reverse the route for the return trip--check times for when the bus leaves the shopping areas. If you are unable to access the route due to a disability, please call our reservation number to make arrangements for the bus to pick you up at your location.

Reservations are required for the subscription and demand-response services. To make an appointment please call the office at 609-889-3700 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at least 3 days in advance of your appointment. However if you are making a reservation to Philadelphia or Delaware you must make your appointment 2 weeks in advance.

Please check the Door-to-Door Service Schedules for your town to get the times and days the Fare-Free vehicles travel to the area of your appointment. Service Schedules (PDF)

7. What if I am in a wheelchair?: Our vehicles are equipped with a lift and tie-down securements for the wheelchairs. Wheelchairs must be inspected by our safety officer before a reservation can be made.

If you have a "scooter" you will be required to transfer to a seat once you have been placed in the vehicle. "Scooters" can only be secured so they will not move in transport, however, we have no way to secure you as a rider unless you transfer to a seat.

Please notify the call-taker when making your appointment that you have a wheelchair.

8. What if I need to change or cancel my reservations?: If your plans change after you have scheduled a ride and you find you will not be needing Fare-Free, please be sure to call 609-889-3700 and cancel your ride. Do not wait until the driver gets there. You can call in a cancellation at any time during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or after hours by leaving a message on the answering machine.

Frequent or continual no-shows (cancellations without notice) will result in the discontinuation of all service.

If you need to make a change to a scheduled ride,address change, number of people going, etc., this can be done by calling the office prior to the driver getting to your home. Please have your identification card number handy; this will make changes easier.

9. Will I get to my appointment on time?: Your pickup time is scheduled the day before your appointment. This allows us to prepare the most efficient route for each driver to follow. You may verify your pickup time the day before between the hours of 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Please be ready when the driver arrives, this helps keep the driver on schedule, and get everyone to their destinations on time. If the unexpected should occur, we will make every attempt to contact you as soon as possible.

10. What if there is bad weather?: Trips may be cancelled, when this happens we will make every attempt to inform you either by telephone, radio messages, or local television messages.

We recognize that during time of bad weather, you may wish to cancel. Please call us as soon as possible if you choose to do so. We will take every precaution to your safety. Please remember if your street is flooded or impassable due to inclement weather, we will need to reschedule your trip.

We are aware that if you are a dialysis patient your needs are different. Stay in touch with the dialysis unit and follow instructions. Please keep your emergency radios on hand.