After a tumultuous summer of delays and frustration, New Jersey Transit will be free for riders in the last week of August.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday announced a fare holiday for riders will take place Aug. 26 through Sept. 2. He said it’s meant to serve as an apology to commuters who dealt with a brutal summer of delays and cancellations.
“It’s the least we can do,” said Murphy in an interview with Fox 5 New York. “We are fixing it. We just raised the corporate transit fee that will raise annually between $800 million and $1 billion to do what NJ Transit needs to be done to get new equipment etc. That’s going to take care of itself. This is a tip of the cap to say thank you, ‘Thanks for your patience. You’re not happy with the performance this summer, neither are we.’ ”
During that time fares will be waived on all NJ Transit buses, trains and light rails. For those who have already bought passes, monthly customers will get a 25% discount on September passes.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit on Thursday said the week of free rides will cost the agency about $19 million. It comes after a 15% fare increase went into effect this July — the first in nine years with plans for a 3% annual increase in the coming years to help cover a budget shortfall.
According to Murphy, most of the operational issues stemmed from the Amtrak system that shares tracks, lines and overhead wiring with NJ Transit. June saw a 69% on time performance for the agency, a drop from the more than 80% this time last year.
“Here is the good news, the trajectory of where we came from, where we are and where we are going is very positive,” Murphy said. “But good luck telling that to someone who is stuck in a train under the Hudson River for two to three hours. . . It is an acknowledgement in thanking our hundreds of thousands of customers to end the summer on a grace note.”
Not everyone is impressed with the gesture. The head of New Jersey’s Business and Industry Association on Thursday said the announcement is unfair to the state’s business community after raising some of their taxes. It said the move sends a frustrating message since none of the new tax receipts money have been committed to NJ Transit this year.
“New Jersey businesses aren’t asking for a free ride, but they are asking for fairness, “said NJBIA President Michele Siekerka. “Today’s announcement sadly smacks of unfairness to New Jersey’s business community.”
