A coalition representing labor, social justice, transportation, community and environmental organizations has made a pitch to legislative leaders to halt the 15% New Jersey Transit fare hike that’s set to go into effect July 1. Some 34 organizations urged no fare hike in a letter delivered Monday to Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and every member of the Legislature.

The letter offered suggestions for bolstering the transit agency’s finances. As well as no fare hike, the coalition urged lawmakers to “repurpose funds designated for the unneeded and unwanted expansion of the NJ Turnpike to replace the revenue that would be generated by the fare increase; support and expand Gov. Murphy’s FY25 budget proposal for a corporate transit fee (CTF) to provide $800 million in dedicated funding for mass transit to avoid NJT’s upcoming fiscal cliff; and end the raids on NJT’s capital budget and dedicate the Clean Energy Fund transfer to bus electrification.”

“The unconscionable 15% fare increase is a lose-lose proposition,” the letter stated. “It will be devastating to New Jersey’s working families and will not even fix NJ Transit’s fiscal problems but make them worse by reducing ridership.”