Toll of Commuting: Riders ask for 'a better light rail' in Hudson, Bergen counties
The petition requests 10-minute service during off-peak times.
More Stories
It’s called the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, but it has never served Bergen County. Projects to expand New Jersey Transit’s light rail operations have stalled before. Now, a nonprofit is petitioning for change.
Hudson County Complete Streets has three main asks: Service every 10 minutes during weekends and off-peak hours and expansion into Bergen County and deeper into Bayonne.
“9th Street Station on the weekends, it can be 30 minutes on Sundays," said Dana Haymon, of SafeStreetsJC. "As a result, I really don’t end up taking it a lot of the time.”
“Particularly, if I am going into Bayonne or North Bergen, it is the easiest way to get there," said Jack McKee, of Hudson County Complete Streets. "It is just that it is unreliable.”
The trips from Exchange Place decrease to once every half hour after 8 p.m. on weeknights. On weekends, the whole system runs every 20 minutes.
“More people work from home than ever before," Haymon said.
“Life doesn’t always happen during rush hour, right?" said Ward E Councilwoman Eleana Little. "You have doctor’s appointments, you have other things that you’re doing on the weekend. Here in Jersey City, 40% of the households don’t have access to a car.”
The PATH expanded weekend service in May after years of advocacy. Funding it required annual fare increases through 2029, but the Port Authority says weekend ridership in June reached an all-time high.
NJ Transit told News 12 they appreciate community advocacy, adding they consistently review light rail ridership to adjust schedules as resources allow. A spokesperson called the 440 and Bergen County expansion "key long-term goals" that require funding.
“They do not have a bag of money sitting around to fund the things that we want," said McKee. "They understand that the things we are asking for with these three campaign points [are] reasonable, and it’s needed.”
