NJ Transit fare hike approved

NEWARK, N.J. - The board of New Jersey Transit today approved a fare hike of nearly 10 percent, with different increases for different rail and bus lines.

The fare increase, the first since July 2005, will begin on June 1 and close a budget deficit of about $60 million in the agency's $1.5 billion budget, also approved today.

It's the third fare increase since 1990.

The fare plan is expected to generate enough money to close the deficit over 13 months.

"Raising fares is always an option of last resort, but it is fiscally prudent to ensure we have a balanced budget that avoids service cuts at a time when we are experiencing record ridership," said state Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman Kris Kolluri.

But the news doesn't make commuters happy.

"That's quite a bit," said Samanta Mehta, 32, as she rode a train out of Penn Station in New York to Metropark. She said she hopes the increase helps ensure that trains run on time, especially in the evenings, when she rides home.

NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel said the agency received 2,155 comments, via e-mail and regular mail, about the proposed increase.

NJ Transit is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system, providing nearly 857,000 weekday trips on bus routes, light rail and commuter rail lines. Systemwide ridership is up 4.6 percent so far in this fiscal year, the third year of record-high levels.

Among the changes:

A 9.9 percent increase for rail and interstate bus customers who ride from New Jersey to New York or Philadelphia and longer-distance buses between suburbs and urban areas.

A one-way ticket from Trenton to New York City would increase from $11.50 to $12.50, and the monthly pass would increase from $320 to $352.

Local bus routes would increase 9.9 percent; base one-zone rides would increase from $1.25 to $1.35 and base one-zone passes would increase from $45 to $49 in northern New Jersey and from $41 to $45 in southern New Jersey.

Fares for the New York-Meadowlands Sports Complex bus purchased on board would increase from $5 to $6, and fares purchased from ticket windows or vending machines would increase from $4.50 to $5.

The morning peak period will begin 30 minutes later, at 7 a.m. Trains that currently arrive at the final destination between 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. are considered peak fares and cost more.