Toll of Commuting: NJ Transit prices increase 3% Tuesday
NJ Transit announced the annual increases last year after plenty of public hearings.
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NJ Transit trains and buses will cost more - starting on Tuesday.
Starting July 1, NJ Transit fares are going up again after last year's 15% price increase. This year, bus and train fares are going up another 3%.
Most commuters at Edison station were unaware of the increase.
“It's ridiculous,” said Tony Bethel, of South Plainfield. “It's already too high.”
NJ Transit announced the annual increases last year after plenty of public hearings. NJ Transit president and CEO Kris Kolluri says it’s necessary to fund improvements without cutting service.
“That will essentially lead to a better maintained and a better reliable system, which is what the riders are asking for, right?” Kolluri said. “They want a reliable system, and I want to provide that to them.”
Customers are asking for better.
“The heat and the trains breaking down, and trains being canceled, it's a hassle,” said Zena Dixon, of Plainfield.
“I’d say it's the same,” said Bethel. “I don't see anything better about the service.”
Farebox revenue is NJ Transit’s largest revenue source. Kolluri says a big portion of that money is funding bus lines that were abandoned last year by major bus carriers like Coach USA and absorbed by NJ Transit.
“This is a huge increase in our costs, and that is what we're paying for,” Kolluri said. “Secondly, AccessLink, which is the very valuable and important service we provide for our disabled community, is going up by substantial amounts.”
The increase hits harder the farther you ride.
A train from Edison Station to New York Penn costs $15.20 on June 30 and $15.65 on July 1. In Middletown, a ride to New York City has gone up 50 cents to $18.00 - that’s $2.75 more than in June 2023 - and that’s just one way.
Buses are also impacted. A ride from Jersey City into the Port Authority Bus Terminal costs 15 cents more than last year, and 81 cents more than two years back.
