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NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT

CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NJ TRANSIT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION JUMPS NEARLY 25 PERCENT

Results of statewide agencyâ¿¿s first post-Sandy survey reflect continued progress

April 9, 2013
NJT-13-030

NEWARK, NJ — Nearly four in five customers said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend or relative in the agency’s latest customer satisfaction survey, released today and available at njtransit.com.  The results mark a new high for the statewide public transit agency.    

 

The third quarter FY13 survey was conducted online at njtransit.com between February 4 and 25.  The survey asked bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers to rate NJ TRANSIT on a scale of 0 to 10.  Customers also considered 41 attributes of the system related to facilities, service, vehicles, communications and the overall experience using NJ TRANSIT.  In addition, customers were asked to identify the most important aspects of NJ TRANSIT service among the items they rated. 

 

“As we near completion of the Christie Administration’s second full year of Scorecard, our customer surveys continue to provide a clear picture of what matters most to our bus, rail, light rail and Access Link customers,” said NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman and NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson.  “Through this survey data and the agency’s quarterly ‘We Are Listening’ customer forums, NJ TRANSIT has effectively improved its operations, resulting in a 23 percent increase in customer satisfaction and further protections for New Jersey taxpayers.”

 

Of the approximately 415,500 customers who used NJ TRANSIT service on a typical weekday in the third quarter of FY13, NJ TRANSIT received more than 14,000 responses to the online; the highest response rate in a year.  Regarding customer loyalty, 79 percent of the customers surveyed said they would recommend NJ TRANSIT to a friend, relative or neighbor (up from 67 percent from the baseline rating).  NJ TRANSIT established the baseline with the first customer survey conducted in advance of the launch of Scorecard last year.

 

“Using this invaluable feedback, we are encouraged that our first, post-Sandy survey shows that our customers have recognized our efforts to enhance the customer experience – even under the most challenging of conditions,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein.  “However, the work continues, and we will continue to employ a laser-like focus on those areas identified in need of improvement.”

 

“By focusing on performance standards and absolute results, Scorecard continues to help NJ TRANSIT move in the right direction,” said Weinstein. 

 

Survey Results – Third Quarter FY13

 

For the third quarter of FY13, customers rated their overall satisfaction with
NJ TRANSIT service as above average with a score of 6.4, very close to the agency’s FY13 goal of 6.5 for customer satisfaction.  This is an increase from the agency’s most recent score of 6.0, achieved during the first quarter of FY013 - and a substantial increase over the baseline rating of 5.2.   

 

Current customer satisfaction ratings on NJ TRANSIT’s four service modes are as follows:

 

  • Bus customers rated their overall satisfaction with service at a 6.4, higher than the 5.5 baseline rating.  About 261,200 customers used NJ TRANSIT’s interstate and local bus system on a typical weekday during the third quarter of FY13, representing approximately 63 percent of all NJ TRANSIT customers.

 

  • Rail customers gave NJ TRANSIT an overall score of 5.9, a significant increase from the baseline score of 4.5.  Approximately 118,900 customers rode NJ TRANSIT trains on a typical weekday throughout the third quarter of FY13, comprising nearly than 29 percent of all NJ TRANSIT customers.

 

  • Light Rail customers gave NJ TRANSIT an overall satisfaction rating of 7.4, an improvement over the baseline score of 6.5.  About 32,200 customers used
    NJ TRANSIT’s three light rail lines on a typical weekday in the third quarter of FY13, making up approximately eight percent of total NJ TRANSIT customers.

 

  • Access Link, NJ TRANSIT’s paratransit service for customers with disabilities, was given an overall rating of 8.1, higher than the 7.5 baseline.  Access Link serves approximately 3,200 customers on a typical weekday.

 

NJ TRANSIT will continue to use the survey results to target specific improvements needed to boost customer satisfaction.   

 

“While the news today is clearly encouraging, we recognize that there are improvements which must continue to be made across our system, particularly as we continue recovering from Sandy’s unprecedented devastation.  We are rebuilding our system with the interests of our loyal customers in mind, and again, I would thank them for their continued patience and support,” said Weinstein.

 

About NJ TRANSIT

 

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 261 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service.  It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 61 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.