Many commuters cheered the news that New Jersey Transit is enacting a fare holiday from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2.
It’s NJ Transit’s olive branch to make amends for another summer when the agency has been plagued by breakdowns, hours-long delays and sudden cancellations that left riders stranded and seething.
“It’s a courtesy to the commuter, the passenger, the traveler. But as far as the trains are concerned, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of engineering,” said Patricia Tasby of Newark.
Gov. Phil Murphy acknowledged that when he announced the fare holiday on Fox 5.
“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,” Murphy said.
The fare holiday will cost an estimated $19 million in lost revenue — at an agency that’s been scrambling for every spare dollar. NJ Transit says it’s “currently identifying offsets” to make up for the fare holiday.
“The problem though again comes down to money; it’s expensive to give up receiving fares for that amount of time,” said Zoe Baldwin, vice president of state programs and New Jersey director of the Regional Plan Association. “But I do think that there has to be an acknowledgment to riders, as well, that they have literally had another summer of hell.”
Michele Siekerka, president and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, called it a “gimmick.” She pointed out that NJ Transit raised fares 15% in July and is set to raise them another 3% annually. That’s on top of a 2.5% Corporate Transit Fee that is projected generate up to $1 billion annually over the next five years. Siekerka said NJ Transit’s finances should be audited, to ensure that money is not wasted as the agency struggles to boost ridership to pre-COVID-19 levels and beyond.
