On Monday, NJ Transit began a week-long fare waiver, an initiative that the agency is using to apologize for months of service disruptions that have made life unbearable for tens of thousands of commuters in the Garden State.
The free fares will last through Sept. 2, the end of Labor Day weekend. Tickets are not required on bus, train, light rail and Access Link services, including Metro-North trains operated by NJ Transit. The agency called it “a testament to our commitment to our customers” in a statement.
For many commuters at Penn Station in Manhattan, however, the deal did not bring much relief; they said they would rather have reliable trains than free rides.
“The best thing to do is if they just fix the service,” said Paul Nowoczynski, 50, who commuted from Maplewood to Manhattan on Monday morning. “I don’t expect a free ride. I’m willing to pay for it.”
“Five to 10 minutes late arriving at Penn Station is the best case scenario right now,” he added. “The worst case scenario is that you get on the train, activate your ticket and then the train doesn’t move.”
The problems for NJ Transit riders this summer have largely revolved around infrastructure issues in and around the 114-year-old Hudson River rail tunnels owned by Amtrak that connect New Jersey to Penn Station. NJ Transit officials have traced the problems to Amtrak’s overhead wires that provide power to trains in the tunnels, while Amtrak officials have said equipment on NJ Transit trains is the cause of the problems.
Due to equipment problems, all traffic in and out of Penn Station has been halted for hours on several occasions since May.
“I’ve gotten so many citations from New Jersey Transit that I don’t care that they’re offering a free ride this week,” said Tricia Carls, who works in Manhattan and commutes from Essex County, New Jersey. “It’s simply because it’s Labor Day weekend, the holiday, and not many people are commuting back and forth.”
The two agencies released a joint report last week highlighting efforts over the past few months to inspect all tracks and infrastructure between New York City and Trenton. As of August 9, the report said, teams had inspected 153 of the 240 miles of track between the two cities.
“While we are working diligently with Amtrak to investigate and resolve the issues encountered this summer, particularly on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare waiver will provide some relief to our commuters,” Governor Phil Murphy said in his statement earlier this month.
The fare exemption follows NJ Transit’s decision to raise fares 15% this summer to protect its budget, despite objections from some commuters and lawmakers who said it was unfair to charge riders more when service was degrading.
The offer does not include PATH or PATCO services. The AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport is also not included in the offer. Vouchers for third-party rides in the Access Link Riders Choice program are still required.
Parking fees will continue to apply at NJ Transit facilities during the fare waiver period.
New Jersey Transit officials said riders who have already purchased a monthly pass for August will be eligible for a 25% discount on their September pass.
