The following statement can be attributed to Zoe Baldwin, New Jersey Director, Regional Plan Association:

Today’s fare hikes directly result from New Jersey’s continued failure to address a well-known problem, and NJ Transit riders deserve better. RPA believes that small and predictable fare increases make sense to offset rising costs, but a large one-time increase like the one announced today will cause unnecessary pain for families already struggling with a skyrocketing cost of living.

There are many ways to address NJ Transit’s looming fiscal cliff without resorting to such drastic measures, and we are incredibly disappointed that none of the other options were seriously explored before riders were saddled with this fare hike.