Transportation and community activists used Rosa Parks’ birthday to call for a better bus system for residents who depend on mass transit. During a virtual press conference today, they asked the Legislature to pass the “New Jersey Transit Bus Riders’ Bill of Rights” that would make the system safer, more reliable and affordable. Among it goals are guaranteeing adequate bus service for customers and providing clear communication about arrivals, departures and delays. It also calls for regularly sharing data about ridership, on-time performance, as well as dealing with overcrowding on certain lines, by evaluating and adjusting bus routes once a year. The bill was introduced last session but didn’t move through and has been reintroduced in the new legislative session.
Riders and advocates also called for NJ Transit to start rolling out electric buses to replace the agency’s diesel vehicles. A pilot to introduce the state’s first electric bus fleet has been delayed.
