NJ TRANSIT SAVES $200,000 FROM MERGING ACCESS LINK REGIONS

Service levels remain the same

The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors today approved a two-year contract extension with Laidlaw Transit Services Inc. that saves the Corporation $200,000 as a result of consolidating two low-ridership Access Link Regions.

The consolidation of Region 1 (Mercer County) and Region 4 (Middlesex, Monmouth and northern Ocean counties) will reduce operating costs without affecting the level of service. The potential remains for more savings when all the modules of the Access Link computer scheduling and dispatching system are fully operational.

“By identifying business efficiencies, the Corporation continues to stretch our limited resources without compromising customer service,” NJ TRANSIT Executive Director George Warrington. “Thanks to smart work, our hard work is paying off.”

Laidlaw’s two-year contract extension will combine the previously authorized contracts for the two regions. This consolidation does not require additional funds. The contract extension, which will run from April 29, 2004 to April 28, 2007, will not exceed $10.8 million.

NJ TRANSIT will monitor the consolidation and make adjustments if needed.

Access Link, NJ TRANSIT’s paratransit service, provides more than 500,000 trips annually for eligible people with disabilities. Access Link’s service is comparable to NJ TRANSIT’s local bus network in terms of service, hours and fares.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing bus, rail and light rail services for 752,600 daily trips on 238 bus routes, two light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 29 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.