NEW JERSEY CHAPTER
145 West Hanover St., Trenton, NJ 08618
T: (609) 656-7612
www.SierraClub.org/NJ
Why the NJ Sierra Club opposes the proposed NJ Transit fare
increases and service cutbacks
By Steve Lanset, Transportation Issues Coordinator
Background and Summary
NJ Transit proposes to raise bus and train fares by an average of 25% on May 1, 2010. It also
proposes service cutbacks, the elimination of off-peak round trip fares, and the elimination of
most feeder buses. The annual state operating subsidy of $300 million has been reduced by
11% ($33 million) for the remainder of FY 2010 ending June 30, 2010. There is a projected
operating deficit of $300 million for FY 2011. For details of NJ Transit’s proposals, see
http://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BudgetChallengeTo .
We believe that there is no need to raise transit fares
or reduce the overall level of service. They would Good public transit
impact disproportionately on the poor. They would increases public mobility,
encourage economically and environmentally
destructive behavior. We recommend that the NJ stimulates economic
Transit budget deficits be resolved by scrapping activity, conserves energy
wasteful capital projects and raising the gas tax and
highway tolls. No remedy should be taken off the resources, and protects the
table. environment and public
As a society, we must consider the whole health.
transportation picture and the choices we make
between different transportation options. Decisions about transportation finance and
modalities should be reviewed as broadly as possible. That means we should consider the
potential long-term social, economic, and environmental impacts of our decisions, not merely
how to get through this year’s crisis.
We believe that public transit is a public good that provides many external benefits to society
that exceed fare box collections and federal/state subsidies for operations and capital
expenditures. With due respect to legitimate concerns for operational efficiency, it should
therefore be subsidized. Good public transit increases public mobility, stimulates economic
activity, conserves energy resources, and protects the environment and public health.
Why the NJ Sierra Club opposes the proposed
NJ Transit fare increases and service cutbacks
7 Reasons Why NJ Transit Cuts Hurt Everyone
1. They would raise the cost of public transit relative to private automobile transportation. They
would encourage NJ residents to choose private automobiles to travel to work, school, shop,
and play.
2. Increased dependence on private automobiles and trucks would cause more traffic congestion
and consequent new highway construction, more air pollution, more water pollution, and more
harm to public health.
Increased congestion not only imposes increased costs of
[Traffic] congestion money and time on travelers, it also raises the costs to
employers of employee commutation time in traffic and of
costs the New Jersey trucking delays. Congestion, said an NJIT study in 2001, costs
Economy $7.3 billion the New Jersey economy $7.3 billion annually. See
http://www.transportation.njit.edu/NCTIP/final_report/congest
annually. ionstudy12.htm
The harm posed by motor vehicles to public health through air pollution is discussed at
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/toxics.htm and http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/newtoxics.html
a. Most NJ counties fail to comply with US EPA clean air standards for particulates. See Sierra
Club press release on EPA report 10-09-09,
http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/PressReleases/0091.asp . Similarly for ozone, see EPA
report http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/pdfs/CountyPrimaryOzoneLevels0608.pdf
See American Lung Association report for NJ:
http://www.lunginfo.org/docs/sota/sota2009_njrelease.pdf
b. Run-off from highways, parking lots and automobile fluids enter our ground water and
threaten the watersheds and aquifers that serve 8.7 million people in NJ. At 1,134 people
per square mile, NJ is the most densely-populated state in the country.
3. Increased dependence on private automobiles encourages suburban sprawl which encroaches
on our watersheds, wetlands, open spaces, and wild plants and animals.
4. Increased dependence on private automobiles encourages more wasteful energy consumption
per miles traveled at a time of rising costs and less dependable supplies and increases our
vulnerability to disruptions in the supply of imported petroleum, the primary source of energy
for motor vehicles.
5. Increased dependence on private automobiles raises the cost of transportation and denies
mobility to people who are too young, handicapped, or too poor to own and drive
private cars. Many people cannot afford to own private vehicles. This restricts their
opportunities for education and employment.
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Why the NJ Sierra Club opposes the proposed
NJ Transit fare increases and service cutbacks
6. Lower-income people would be more adversely affected by proposed fare increases and service
cutbacks. Nearly 2/3’s of trips on NJ Transit are bus trips.
Passenger Passenger
trips % miles %
Light Rail 19,147 7.1 85,814 2.5
Bus 167,076 62.3 982,746 29.1
Van Pool 682 0.3 23,870 0.7
Paratransit 1,086 0.4 6,656 0.2
Commuter Rail 80,297 29.9 2,280,895 67.5
TOTAL 268,288 100.0 3,379,981 100.0
From APTA data for 2007: http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/transitstats.aspx .
Off-peak riders would be hit doubly hard by the proposed fare increases. NJT would eliminate
off-peak round trip fares. That would result effectively in a 40-50% increase for them. Off-peak
riders tend to have lower incomes. They are more discretionary, older riders, who would be
forced to drive if they can afford it. If they can’t afford to drive, then they would not make the
trips that may be economically and socially useful.
7. Service cutbacks that eliminate services and reduce service frequencies would drive away NJ
Transit customers away by causing more inconvenience and raising concerns about safety
among riders waiting for their trains or buses. This is the death spiral that destroyed privately-
run transit before NJ Transit was created.
Longer distances between home/work and available public transit would further discourage
transit riders. Valuable feeder services may appear to perform poorly because many of their
riders hold monthly passes and pay no fare. NJ Transit may not be considering that when
deciding on the fate of those lines.
Instead of raising fares and cutting service NJ Transit should halt the construction of several
unnecessary capital projects. The savings from should then be shifted to public transit.
Widening the NJ Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Express Way - $3.5 billion
http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/PressReleases/0078.asp
http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/PressReleases/0079.asp
ARC train station in NYC - $2.0 billion – new stand-alone, dead-end, deep-cavern station
underneath 34th St. The NJ Sierra Club endorsed the original concept of a new ARC (Access to
Region’s Core) passenger rail tunnel between NJ and NYC’s Penn Station. It opposes current
plans to terminate the tunnel at a new station 175 feet under 34th St.
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Why the NJ Sierra Club opposes the proposed
NJ Transit fare increases and service cutbacks
http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/PressReleases/0076.asp
Rail extension between Port Morris Junction and Andover (7.3 miles, also known as the
Lackawanna Cutoff), est. $30 million (not including land acquisition), anticipated ridership of 65.
NJ Transit officials have said that it would do little to reduce automobile traffic. It would also
traverse undeveloped open spaces that should be preserved.
http://blog.tstc.org/2008/07/09/lackawanna-cutoff-why-now-and-why-there/
Bergen-Passaic Light Rail, between Paterson and Hackensack, est. $100-$150 million, low
ridership forecasts, duplicates existing bus service. Many municipalities along the right of way
do not want it.
While the NJ Sierra Club is against most road widenings and expansions, it supports the repair of
current roads and bridges (Fix it first policy.). Most Turnpike and Parkway congestion can be
managed with congestion pricing, HOV toll lanes, and flexible/reversible lanes to accommodate
changes in traffic flow, whether due to commuting periods or holidays.
We have several alternative, more environmentally sound, solutions to our transportation finance
crisis.
Raise the fuel tax for gasoline and diesel.
NJ has the third lowest gas tax in the country (after Alaska and Wyoming), 14.5
cents/gallon, unchanged since 1988. See details at http://njpp.org/rpt_gas.html. Every 1
cent increase in the gas tax would generate additional revenues of $50 million a year.
Collect more from out-of-staters who use and sometimes abuse our roads.
Interstate truckers cause substantial wear and tear to our roads.
According to NJ Transit, riders have already absorbed five fare increases since 1988. They
represent a cumulative increase of 106%, more than a doubling of transit fares, while the
gas tax has remained unchanged. See details below:
http://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BudgetFAQTo
1. June 2007 – 9.6%
2. July 2005 – 11.5%
3. April 2002 – 10%
4. July 1990 – 9%
5. May 1989 – 12.5%
Assess tolls on Interstate highways 80, 295, 78, 195. Again, this a good way to collect
appropriate user fees from out-of-staters who use our roads.
Automate fare collection on NJ Transit trains and buses. Reduce the amount of manpower and
time used to collect fares. Accelerate collection of fares ahead of performance of service,
thereby improving the cash flow of NJ Transit. Electronic fare collection boxes should be
installed on buses to accept NY MTA Metro Cards.
Attract more riders to public transit by keeping fares down and by making public transit more
convenient with the following low-cost improvements to our bus systems.
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Why the NJ Sierra Club opposes the proposed
NJ Transit fare increases and service cutbacks
a. Low-floor buses for easier, faster loading and unloading, limit need for expensive lift
mechanisms for the handicapped.
b. Issue transponders to bus drivers to allow them to change traffic lights.
c. Indented pull-out sections at bus stop curbs to limit bus stop disruption to traffic
d. Better signage at bus stops – to communicate bus schedules and routes and other transit
information.
e. More comfortable, well-maintained bus shelters.
f. Dedicated bus lanes on existing highways. New bus ways should not be proposed as a
means to building new highways.
NJ Transit needs to establish consistent public service standards for reviewing bus and rail
services. There should be annual reviews of how the services are performing financially and
operationally. Public input should be invited.
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