Commuter advocates rally against NJ TRANSIT's proposed 15% fare hike that could start this summer
NEWARK, N.J. -- A commuter rights group is rallying against New Jersey TRANSIT's proposed 15% fare hike that could take effect this summer.
New Jersey commuters say they can't seem to catch a break this year between New York's congestion pricing and now this.
Pending board approval, NJ TRANSIT says the proposed fare hike could go into effect July 1, with a 3% bump each year after that for the foreseeable future.
Advocates from Tri-State Transportation Campaign gathered with riders Thursday morning to express their disdain.
"Fifteen percent is no chump change, especially for riders who are already feeling the impacts of the economy, the already high fares on their pocketbooks. This is a lot of money to ask riders to pay," said Jaqi Cohen, director of climate and equity policy for the group.
NJ TRANSIT, however, says it's left with no other choice because it's facing a $119 million budget shortfall. Officials say this will be the first price jump in nearly a decade.
State leaders say without more money pouring into the system, the agency risks the possibility of stalled projects and future service cuts.
"When you have a policy of avoiding fare increases for as long as possible, at some point in time, something's got to give. And if you look at the history, it's been 10 years since the last fare increase," former state Assemblyman John Wisniewski told CBS New York. "So, you can't just blame this on the governor, you have to look at the history of governors before him and understand there's something wrong with the process that defers those fare increases until they are absolutely inevitable.
To learn more about the proposed hikes, NJ TRANSIT will hold 10 public hearings starting March 4.
