NJT Board of Directors meeting
April 18th 2007 12:00 am
NJ Transit’s Board of Directors meets today at 9:00 AM, and they are likely to approve a 10% fare increase, effective June 1.
If you’re unhappy about having to pay an increase greater than the rate of inflation, and the prospect of similar increases every year or two, you should write to your representatives in Trenton now. Tell them they need to approve a funding mechanism which does not balance NJT’s budget on the backs of the riders. Remind them that 2007 is an election year.
Things have to change, and if you wait for the next proposed fare increase, it will (again) be too late.
Bob Scheurle responded on 18 Apr 2007 at 10:11 am #
According to the Star-Ledger, the fare hike has been approved by the NJT Board of Directors.
Don’t forget to write to your Legislators. Please.
laxpop responded on 19 Apr 2007 at 12:11 pm #
In The New York Times today (4/19), staff writer Ken Belson reports the NJT Board yesterday approved the fare increase which “brings rates on New Jersey Transit trains closer to the higher fares charged by Metro-North and ther Long Island Rail Road on a per mile basis.” Is that true? I thought NJT fares were actually higher than those two railroads on a per-mile basis. (But granted the point is only an academic one since we’re in different jurisdictions.)
Belson also reports, and this was a surprise to me, that the Board “decided to begin charging peak rates for train tickets at 7 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m., which could save riders several dollars per round trip.” But wouldn’t those savings be negated if you elected to return to your point of origin on a peak-hour train? You’d pay the step-up to a full fare, correct? You’d need to leave NY Penn at 7:03 p.m. or later, or leave NWK Penn at 7:20 p.m. or later, correct? Can someone clarify this for me? Also, just FYI, the Times reports, “riders who buy monthly passes will not be affected by this change.”
Finally, the Times says, “The agency is also working with the Metopolitan Transportation Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the city of Newark to consider how to improve service to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, as well as pricing to the airport from New York City.” Any clue what that might mean?
Bob Scheurle responded on 19 Apr 2007 at 12:40 pm #
Here is a chart comparing fares from various passenger railroads in the US: http://www.nj-arp.org/farechart.html NJ Transit is clearly the most expensive in the country for monthly tickets for trips of 25 and 50 miles.
The change to the off-peak hours is of no real benefit. Most people riding that early ride every day, so they already have monthly tickets. And, as you noted, riders would also have to return on off-peak trains. If NJT wanted to give something back to the riders, they would make off-peak tickets valid in the evening, like they used to be.
I’m not sure what they’re talking about regarding the fares to Newark Airport. Maybe they’re going to reduce the blood money given to the Port Authority. Remember when the monorail opened, the PA said it was free? Well, it isn’t free if you arrive/depart by train. There’s a hefty surcharge paid by rail riders when they take the monorail that others do not pay.
Joe Versaggi responded on 19 Apr 2007 at 2:30 pm #
Those NY Times fare rates came from propaganda from NJT that computed average revenue per passenger, which are decreased by deep and unrestricted discounts given to seniors and from fares at the 10 mile radius. No one buys a ticket at this “average fare rate”. It is creative statistics. Also, while MTA off-peak discounts are 28%, and on a one way basis, ours are only 15%, and only when both directions are off-peak. If one direction is during peak and the other is during off-peak, you get no discount. On MTA, you would get 14%.
Other invalid boasts are their low 1-zone bus fare, which will only get you about 4 miles. MTA Metrocard has a nominal fare of $2 regarless of distance and no charge for transfers. One could go from Manhattan to Hicksville on NYCT and Long Island Bus for $2.
My rebuttal letter to the NY Times of course was not printed. I am neither a transit bureaucrat nor a PhD.