Skip to main content

NJ TRANSIT NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT'S NEW FARE PLAN ADDS VALUE TO RAIL PASSES, ELIMINATES FEEDER FEES

Monthly passes for local bus, light rail will not increase July 1

NJT-05-079
June 16, 2005

NEWARK, NJ - NJ TRANSIT customers will get new flexibility to use rail monthly passes on buses and light rail lines, and benefit from the elimination of feeder fares when a new fare plan goes into effect on July 1, 2005. Under the plan, full-fare commuter rail and interstate bus fares will increase an average of 9.9 percent; however, the price of monthly passes will not increase for local bus, Newark City Subway, River LINE and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.

Customers can find new origin and destination-specific fares at www.njtransit.com. Customers are being reminded of the July 1 fare change through newsletters and special notices aboard buses, trains and light rail vehicles.

Among the highlights of the fare plan:

 

  • Monthly passes for local bus, Newark City Subway, River LINE and Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will not increase. Under the plan, the cost of monthly passes will not increase for local bus, Newark City Subway, River LINE, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and bus contract carriers.
  • New flexibility for rail monthly passes. Rail monthly passes will be interchangeable on bus and light rail services for trips of equal or lesser value, enabling customers to take a train to work in the morning and have the option of taking a bus home in the evening at no additional charge.
  • Feeder fares eliminated for rail weekly and monthly passes. Customers using a rail monthly or weekly pass will be able to travel one zone for free on connecting bus or light rail lines. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will also accept monthly bus passes of two zones or greater.
  • Lower than expected increases. The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors approved a fare plan that delivers lower-than-expected fare increases for many commuters, as a result of $12.6 million in additional internal management efficiencies and revenue enhancements. As a result, rail and interstate bus fares will increase 9.9 percent on July 1, instead of the originally proposed 13.3 percent. This level of increase is consistent with inflation, which already totals 10.2 percent since April 2002 (last fare increase), and is widely expected to exceed 11 percent by July. River LINE, City Subway and one-zone local bus trips will increase from $1.10 to $1.25. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail fares will rise from $1.50 to $1.75.

During the public fare hearing process earlier this year, NJ TRANSIT received valuable customer feedback on its proposed fare plan, as well as on policy issues and services. In response to this input, the Corporation modified the plan to incorporate many customer ideas. The following changes were made based on customer feedback:

 

  • Off-peak round-trip tickets: The discount for rail off-peak round-trip tickets will be 15 percent, not 12.5 percent as originally proposed.

  • Change-in-terminal fee: NJ TRANSIT simplified this onboard fee to make it less confusing. Customers will pay $2 or $3, depending on the boarding location.

  • Intra-Camden bus fares: The intra-Camden bus fare premium applied to bus trips of 10 zones or more from Camden has been eliminated. Instead, customers will pay the local fare for distance traveled.

Customers can find details on the July 1 fare plan, including new fares for their specific trip, at www.njtransit.com. For additional assistance, customers may call 1-800-772-2222.