NEWARK, NJ — Train riders and advocates continue to rail against a NJ Transit fare hike, which is set to kick off July 1.
On Friday – with a 15 percent increase beginning at the start of next workweek – a group of NJ Transit riders gathered outside of the agency’s headquarters in Newark, calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to intervene and stop the fare hike.
“Middle, working-class and low-wage New Jersey families are caught in a cycle of inflation like never before and are struggling every day to pay rent and utilities, put food on the table and afford child care,” advocacy group Make the Road New Jersey said prior to the demonstration.
Now, they’re also facing a 15 percent fare hike – just to get to work.
A potential tax on the state’s most profitable corporations – which would help to fund NJ Transit – is a good start, the group says. But fare hikes on working families with no promise of improved services is a “policy choice and a policy failure,” its members add.
“Working families should not carry the responsibility of mitigating the harm caused by years of underfunding and taking from Paul to pay Peter,” Make the Road New Jersey argued.
The proposed rate increases are NJ Transit’s first since 2015, the public transit provider said, and come as a result of low pandemic-related ridership that has cost NJ Transit $2 billion in revenue to date. The end of its COVID-19 relief funding in 2025 marks additional budgetary concerns after a $119 million budget deficit identified last year, officials said. Read More: NJ Transit Fare Hike Approved (See New Rates, Timing)
NJ Transit officials held a series of public meetings across the state before the proposed fare hikes hit the finish line, including a March 8 session at their headquarters in Newark.
CONGRESSWOMAN: ‘FAMILIES DESERVE A BREAK’
Advocates’ calls for a halt to the fare hike have found a welcoming ear from some New Jersey elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11).
On Thursday, Sherrill put out a statement that calls on NJ Transit to put the brakes on the soon-to-come fare hike.
The congresswoman pointed out that train riders have been struggling with a series of delays and suspensions on the Northeast Corridor between New Jersey and New York City, which serves both Amtrak and NJ Transit trains. Read More: Amtrak, NJ Transit Search For Cause Of Frustrating Train Delays
“During the past few weeks, NJ Transit commuters have experienced unacceptable delays due to breakdowns on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor,” Sherrill said. “Now, New Jerseyans are staring down a 15 percent rate hike – all while disruptions continue.”
“I understand the difficult budget circumstances for NJ Transit, but this is a textbook example of inconsistent planning and short-term thinking that has been far too typical in Trenton and Washington,” she continued. “Families deserve a break – not a fare hike, which is why I am calling on NJ Transit to pause and reevaluate these plans until New Jersey commuters have the reliable service they expect and deserve.”
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