In a bid to compensate passengers for repeated delays over the summer, Gov. Phil Murphy announced free fares for Transit trains, buses and the Light Rail system from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2.
Murphy states that this is his way to “thank” all residents and visitors whose itineraries were canceled or delayed in recent weeks.
“The fare holiday is a way to express our sincere appreciation for customers’ continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations—or our own,” said the governor.
The amount a daily train passenger can save is nothing to sneeze at. For instance, those commuting from New Brunswick to New York Penn Station will save up to $160, while passengers traveling from Cranford to the city will save up to $100, and so on.
Although Eric, a bus rider from Matawan, is happy to save up to $70 this week, he doesn’t believe this solves the real problems the city’s public transportation system is facing.
“I get it; it’s a thank you, and it’s nice to have the government say thanks in whatever way they can,” Eric told News 12. But “it’s kind of a distraction from the problems, and again, a good distraction, but problems really need to be solved.”
One of the issues the driver refers to involves problems with overhead wires that frequently cause passengers to get stuck on trains, in addition to some circuit breaker malfunction that caused electric damage between New York City’s Penn Station and Newark’s Union Station back in June.
In that regard, an NJ Transit and Amtrak spokesperson said they have increased equipment inspections and repairs to avoid future disruptions and inconveniences.
For now, Governor Murphy’s “thanks” will cost taxpayers an additional $19 million in revenue.
On the bright side, those looking to take advantage of Labor Day weekend to visit family and friends or enjoy a day at the beach will be able to do so for free.
“We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit,” said Murphy in a statement.
Popular tourist destinations on the beach and in the mountains that can be visited for free next week include, but are not limited to, Atlantic City, Harriman State Park and upstate New York.
Early birds who had already secured their NJ Transit tickets for August will receive a 25% discount on their passes for September as compensation.