NJ Transit Fare Increase, Service Cuts

MYFOXNY.COM - NJ Transit officials say they plan a 25 percent fare increase and service cuts to help close a $300 million budget gap.

The changes would take effect May 1.

Executive Director James Weinstein announced Friday that he'll seek to increase fares by 25 percent systemwide and trim service proportionate to recent ridership declines.

"We recognize that any increase is a burden for our customers, particularly during a recession," said Weinstein. "However, we have worked to keep local bus fares below the regional average and preserved some important discounts for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as for students and others who are among the most transit dependent."

PUBLIC HEARINGS LIST

Thousands of riders use NJ Transit to commute to New York every weekday.

Some examples of price changes include:

• A one-zone local bus trip or one-way ticket on Newark or River Line light rail would increase from $1.35 to $1.70 per ride.
• One-way commuter rail tickets would rise to $1.50-$16.50. A trip from Metropark in Iselin, NJ to New York Penn Station would rise to $10.
• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail tickets would increase from $1.90 to $2.40 per trip.
• Off-peak roundtrip discounts would be eliminated
• 10-trip bus discounts would be capped at 15% off the full fare price

Some examples of service cuts include:

• The elimination of 32 of 725 commuter trains
• The busy Northeast Corridor would lose five weekday trains
• Morris and Essex lines would lose seven weekday (four off-peak) trains

Under the plan, bus customers would experience reduced service frequency on about 50 routes systemwide. In most instances, the interval between bus arrival times will grow by a range of five to 20 minutes. NJ TRANSIT's proposal also calls for service to be discontinued on three NJ TRANSIT bus routes (nos. 68, 134 and 138) and several local routes operated by private carriers. In addition, WHEELS minibus service would be discontinued in all counties.

The changes are part of the agency's latest plan to offset a $300 million budget shortfall. The agency also had its state subsidy cut by 11 percent -- a drop of about $33 million. Ridership is down 4 percent from last year.

According to NJ Transit, the increase in fares and service reductions will generate more than $140 million in revenue.

Covering a service area of 5,325 square miles, NJ Transit is the nation's third largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit.

It last raised fares in 2007, when they went up by about 9 percent.

Public hearings on the fare increases and service cuts are scheduled for March 25-27.

> NJTRANSIT.COM