New Jersey Residents Think Beaches Should Be Tagless

A new poll by Stockton University has revealed that a majority of New Jersey residents think the state's beaches should be free. Half of those polled also believe that beach tags cost too much.

According to the Courier Post, 65% of survey participants across the state "think beaches are a public resource and that they should be free to New Jersey residents," noted the university's Hughes Center for Public Policy.

Thirty percent of those polled said that beachgoers "should pay for access to generate revenue for essential services." Approximately 40% of respondents in areas near the shore — in Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth, and Ocean counties — favored beach tags. Elsewhere in the state, only 27% of respondents liked beach tags.

“Residents in shore counties likely see beach tags as a way to manage crowds and reduce their local tax burden by bringing in other revenue to pay for upkeep, so it makes sense that they're more amenable to charging than inland New Jerseyans,” said Alyssa Maurice, head of research at the Hughes Center. “It's notable though that a majority in the shore region still think beaches should be free.”

Approximately 58% of poll respondents from the central part of the state felt that beach tags were too high. According to Maurice, individuals from this area can pay more than $100 for a season badge for beaches in coastal Monmouth and Ocean County communities.

Only 46% of respondents in South Jersey, where season badges range from approximately $20 to $50, felt that beach tag prices were high. A few South Jersey shore towns, particularly Atlantic City and Wildwood, don't require beach tags.

The Courier Post noted that communities typically don't require beach tags for children 12 or younger. Many offer discounts for older adults, and one, Sea Isle City, allows free access to its beaches on Wednesdays.