NJ Transit Fare Hike Takes Effect: 15% Increase for Bus and Rail Service

New Jersey Transit riders are experiencing a significant fare hike as they commute across the Garden State. Riders will now pay an average of 15% more to ride the state’s trains and buses, the first increase in nine years.

The rate increase follows weeks of transit delays in the state, with riders facing uncertain arrival times and massive delays as they return home. According to News 12, NJ Transit says ridership has been down since the pandemic. This has resulted in a budget shortfall of more than $100 million, leading to higher fares to offset any reduction in service.

The New York Post quoted NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett in April as saying, “While a fare increase is always an option of last resort — and we recognize the impact an increase of any size has on all our customers — I remain strongly committed to ensuring that overall service levels are not reduced” through June 2025.

15% NJ Transit fare hike, 1st in nearly a decade, takes effect https://t.co/qWrIZvGfhL pic.twitter.com/cgtjfVProz

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 1, 2024

It is estimated that around 131,000 riders use the PATH, while another 123,000 take NJ Transit trains to Penn Station and riders who use the Port Authority Bus Terminal number around 200,000.

However, New Jersey Transit riders have faced some unsurmountable challenges recently. The most significant recent service disruptions came not only from Amtrak overhead wires but also from disabled trains, equipment availability issues, power issues, signal issues, track condition issues, and mechanical issues, according to the New York Post.

Montclair Local shared commentary from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, who held a press conference with officials from Amtrak and NJ Transit to address the issue.

“The performance of late across the board has been unacceptable,” Murphy said. “We are collectively doing historic things on some of the biggest transit projects in the country, in the history of New Jersey and probably the history of the United States.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Rep. Rob Menendez, and the New Jersey Congressional Delegation demanded that Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg launch an investigation against Amtrak. The public letter addresses the company’s continuing issues.

It reads, “Families across New Jersey count on accessible, efficient public transportation to get to work on time, be home for their children’s soccer games, and make their lives more affordable and convenient. Given the centrality of Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT to these crucial goals and our long-running support in Congress for key investments in our region’s railway network, we have been shocked and deeply concerned by the recent breakdown in Amtrak rail operations along the Northeast Corridor and the resulting many hours of delays for tens of thousands of New Jersey commuters.”

As riders face this current increase, they are also aware that fares will rise again by another 3% on July 1, 2025. However, as the fate of congestion pricing remains uncertain, riders may still face substantial increases in their commuting costs before then.