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As NJ Transit starts fare-free week, riders just wish agency would fix service
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
,
Catalina Gonella
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 26, 2024
Modified Aug 26, 2024
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Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
,
Catalina Gonella
and
Louis C. Hochman
Published Aug 26, 2024
Modified Aug 26, 2024
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Monday marked the start of a weeklong fare holiday at NJ Transit, an initiative launched by the agency to apologize for months of service disruptions that have made life miserable for tens of thousands of Garden State commuters.
The free fares run through Sept. 2, the end of Labor Day weekend, with no tickets required for bus, train, light rail and Access Link services, including Metro-North trains operated by NJ Transit. The agency in a statement called it “a testament to our dedication to our customers."
But the deal brought little relief to many commuters at Manhattan's Penn Station who said they’d rather have reliable trains than complimentary rides.
“The best thing that could be done is if they just fix the service,” said Paul Nowoczynski, 50, who commuted into Manhattan from Maplewood on Monday morning. “I don’t expect to get a free ride. I’m fine to pay.”
“Five to 10 minutes late coming into Penn Station right now is the best-case scenario,” he added. “The worst-case scenario is you get on the train, activate your ticket and then the train’s not running.”
The headaches for NJ Transit riders this summer have primarily revolved around infrastructure issues in and around the 114-year-old Hudson River rail tunnels, which are owned by Amtrak and connect New Jersey to Penn Station. NJ Transit officials have blamed the problems on Amtrak’s overhead wires that power trains in the tunnels, while Amtrak officials said equipment atop NJ Transit’s trains were causing the problems.
On several occasions since May, the equipment issues have shut down all service in and out of Penn Station for hours.
“I have had so many write-ups because of New Jersey Transit that even though they are offering a free ride this week, to me it’s neither here nor there,” said Tricia Carls, who works in Manhattan and commutes from Essex County in New Jersey. “Just specifically because this is the Labor Day weekend, the holiday, so not a lot of people are commuting back and forth.”
The two agencies released a joint report last week, highlighting efforts in recent months to inspect all of the track and infrastructure between New York City and Trenton. As of Aug. 9, the report states that crews inspected 153 of the 240 miles of track between the two cities.
“As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in his statement earlier this month.
The fare holiday follows NJ Transit's decision to hike fares 15% this summer as a way to shore up its budget, despite the objections of some commuters and lawmakers who said it wasn't fair to charge customers more as service deteriorated.
The deal does not include PATH or PATCO services. It also does not include the AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport. Vouchers for travel via third-parties in the Access Link Riders Choice program will still be required.
Parking fees remain in effect at NJ Transit facilities during the fare holiday as well.
NJ Transit officials said riders who already purchased a monthly pass for August will be eligible for a 25% discount on their September passes.
Tagged
new york city
new jersey
transportation
Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Catalina Gonella
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Louis C. Hochman
After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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