NJ Transit Proposing Increased Fares Starting July 1st

Public Transportation over the years is not as commonly used in suburban and Rural Areas as it is in City Environments and the latest information from NJ Transit confirms that fewer people in New Jersey are using Buses and Trains than ever before.

This is the fifth straight year of declining ridership on NJ Transit's Buses and Trains compared to pre-COVID-19 Pandemic levels.  With the exhaustion of Federal Funding that was provided to NJ Transit in the aftermath of COVID-19, the transportation company has a difficult decision to make and they will be holding public hearings about future changes.

According to NJ Transit, there has been an over 30 percent inflation increase of operating costs that puts two options on the table: Reducing Service Levels or Increase Fares for using Public Transportation. Since 2020, NJ Transit has absorbed some of the Busing Services of companies such as Coach USA and DeCamp, so they want to avoid any reduction of transportation services.

So NJ Transit is proposing a fare increase that would start on July 1st, 2024 with a three percent increase annually for the next five years.  For the first year, this equals a 20 to 50 cents increase for most transportation fares and a Two to Four Dollar Cost increase for long travel routes.

NJ Transit will be holding Public Hearing in 10 New Jersey Counties from March 4th to March 8th with Morning and Evening Sessions.  For more information about these Public Hearing and how you can submit questions for comment if you cannot attend, visit the NJ Transit website here.