Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

COUNTY: DON’T PARK TO DOLPHIN-WATCH

Img_4564Motorists flock to the railing of the Oceanic Bridge when car traffic is stopped for boat traffic. Cars have also been stopping when they’re not supposed to, county officials say.

Monmouth County is warning motorists not to park on the Oceanic Bridge in the wake of numerous instances of drivers stopping on the span to dolphin-watch.

“Public interest in viewing the dolphins in the Navesink River is creating a public safety issue,” John Tobia, director of the county’s Department of Public Works Engineering says in a press release dated Tuesday. “Recently, motorists seeking to get closer to the dolphins have begun parking on the Oceanic Bridge. This creates a problem for other motorists and a safety issue for pedestrians and bicyclists attempting to cross the bridge.

More:

Enforcement of rules and ordinances on county bridges are carried out by local law enforcement agencies. Middletown and Rumson police departments will ticket any vehicle parked on the Oceanic Bridge.

“This effort will make sure that safe passage on the bridge continues for motor vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians,” said Tobia. “The county appreciates the enforcement efforts of officers in Middletown and Rumson.”

Since the dolphins arrived in the area in late June, they have drawn crowds along the banks and in the waters of the Navesink and Upper Shrewsbury Rivers. Boaters are required to keep a 50 foot distance from the dolphins. Enforcement of rules on the water is the responsibility of the NJ State Police.

The Oceanic Bridge is one of four movable bridges owned, operated and maintained by the county.

The press release makes no mention of the fact that pedestrians have also been flocking to the western side of the bridge even though there’s no sidewalk on that side. We’re not clear if laws prohibit walking and standing on that side, but redbankgreen has seen bridge operators asking pedestrians to cross to the eastern side, which has a sidewalk.

Since July 7, the dolphins have been feeding just west of the bridge, which is the only public place from which they can be easily seen.

Email this story

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...
WHAT? NO redbankgreen NEWSLETTER?
Apologies to redbankgreen newsletter subscribers: the daily email hasn’t gone out for two days because of technical issues.
RED BANK: TIRED OF SKEETERS?
RED BANK: Tired of mosquito bites every summer? Monmouth County has a free program to help eliminate skeeter breeding grounds.