(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Transit is making train and bus rides free for customers for one week at the end of August, after the system was riddled with a spate of cancellations and massive delays earlier this summer.
Governor Phil Murphy said Thursday that fares will be waived for all modes of transportation between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Riders who use a monthly pass will automatically receive a 25% discount on their September purchase.
“The fare holiday is a way to express the sincere appreciation for customers’ continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations—or our own,” Murphy’s statement said.
The holiday comes after NJ Transit riders were frustrated by a slew of service disruptions that lengthened commutes. The confluence of decades of underfunding, unusually hot weather and aging infrastructure had led to a transit breakdown along the busiest rail corridor in the US. Experts warned that repeated delays and unreliable transit could cost the region’s residents and businesses, and threaten its economy.
There has been a history of finger pointing between Amtrak and NJ Transit after major service disruptions disrupted commutes this summer. Amtrak owns and operates much of the track infrastructure that both agencies share. After a string of back-to-back meltdowns, officials from both agencies announced they would begin working together to resolve infrastructure problems and better communicate across the two parties.
“Understanding that our commuters have faced many disruptions this summer, we are providing a one-week fare holiday,” Murphy said. “As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief.”
US Representative Josh Gottheimer — who represents North Jersey — wants NJ Transit riders to be reimbursed if they experience long delays due to Amtrak service disruptions after commuters in the New York City region this summer were left stranded on trains and platforms for hours.
Still, not all commuters will be able to take advantage of free rides. The fare holiday is happening over the US Labor Day holiday weekend, a stretch of time where many riders may be working remotely, soaking in the last few days of summer at the Jersey Shore or preparing for the start of the school year.
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