Don’t try to pay the fare to ride NJ Transit this week—the ride is free.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced a one-week “fare waiver” for NJ Transit commuters as a “thank you” to all customers who rely on public transportation, as public transportation has unfortunately been a recurring problem during the summer months.
NJ Transit riders have frequently encountered downed lines that have resulted in train cancellations or delays. And to top it all off, in the midst of this unreliable service period, NJ Transit announced a 15 percent fare increase.
However, Murphy announced the fare reduction earlier this month, which includes a one-week fare waiver on all NJ Transit vehicles.
The fare exemption is valid from August 26 to September 2.
But one question bothers some commuters: What happens if I have already bought a monthly ticket that is valid until the end of the month?
Well, don’t worry!
Monthly pass holders who have already purchased a pass for August will automatically receive a 25% discount on the purchase of their monthly pass for September via the mobile app, at ticket vending machines (TVMs) or at ticket counters.
“As we understand our commuters have faced many disruptions this summer, we are providing NJ TRANSIT riders with a one-week fare waiver,” Murphy said in a statement. “As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and resolve the issues that arose this summer, particularly on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare waiver will provide some relief for our commuters. We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we remain grateful to the many New Jerseyans who rely on public transit.”
Many of the recent service disruptions have occurred on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. Murphy has met with NJ Transit and Amtrak leadership to discuss improvements. Although the causes of these incidents have not yet been identified, short-term measures have been taken, including increased inspections of equipment on the platforms by NJ TRANSIT personnel. In addition, Amtrak has increased inspection and repair of its overhead wires, track signaling systems and substations along the Northeast Corridor line.
