By Julia Boyle
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

It’s travel season. Are you on the road?

Gas prices have continued to stay in the high range this summer, meaning many people have had to subdue their spending habits and cut road trips from their budgets.

Smart financial decision
Marcia and Don Burch, who moved to Cedar Crest in October 2006, use the community’s transportation frequently as a less expensive and more convenient alternative to their car.

“The transportation service is invaluable. We use it all the time because it’s so simple,” Marcia Burch says. “We don’t use our car as much since we don’t have to go to the grocery store or many other places—everything we need is here.”

Although she says a car is a necessity for her and her husband, the costs add up. “It’s terribly expensive because insurance in Jersey is outrageous, but luckily we don’t use a lot of gas because we use the transportation service for most of the driving we need to do,” she says.

Summer travel plans
They also use Cedar Crest’s transportation for leisure travel. “We went to Radio City Music Hall last year. It’s much more enjoyable when you can leave the driving to someone else,” she says.

Trip Coordinator Tom Fox plans and orchestrates all leisurely travel from Cedar Crest. “My goal is to give people a large variety of trips to go on,” Fox says.

The Transportation Department averages 40 trips a month, with about 30 people per trip. Area playhouses like Chatham Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Bickford Theatre reign as the community’s most popular excursions. And “Museum Mile,” a monthly trip to New York City’s stretch of museums, remains a mainstay.