Thank you to the NJ Transit Board of Directors for inviting public comment today. My name is Christina Kata, and I am the NJ Policy Associate for Regional Plan Association. I also rely on NJ Transit to get around, as I do not own a car. I am here to ask you to vote ​“No” on the fare hike proposal before you today.

RPA has been a staunch supporter of NJ Transit for years. The agency is incredibly important to the state’s and the region’s economy, environment, and quality of life, especially as we work to reduce congestion and curb carbon emissions. As part of the Fund NJ Transit Coalition, we’ve advocated for recurring, dedicated operating funding for the agency.

In regards to the fare hikes, increases of this magnitude should be the option of last resort. A 15% fare increase this summer and 3% annual increases in perpetuity are more severe than those being implemented by peer transit agencies, and will disproportionately hurt essential workers and low-income residents. It isn’t a stretch of the imagination to think that folks who are the most dependent on transit aren’t likely to get 3% wage increases every year. They’ll need to dig deep in order to afford to get to school, work, grocery stores, or make medical appointments on their already-tight budgets. NJ Transit riders deserve better. These fare hikes will cause unnecessary pain for families already struggling with skyrocketing costs of living.

And at a time when we should be encouraging more people to take public transit, a double-digit fare increase is not only punitive, but shortsighted. It won’t fix NJ Transit’s budget issues. The fare hikes will yield around $120 million, which, while it sounds sizable, is nowhere near enough to address NJ Transit’s $1 billion fiscal cliff. It will barely make a dent in the budget deficit while creating a heavy burden for riders.

While we were glad to see Governor Murphy propose a funding mechanism via a corporate transit fee, RPA was incredibly disappointed by the Governor’s recent comments that it’s not meant to be a permanent solution for NJ Transit’s funding issues; that, in the Governor’s words, ​“NJ Transit needs to find a way toward being able to stand, if not on its own, largely on its own”; and that the administration has proposed double-digit fare increases.

Let’s be clear: there isn’t a public transit agency in the country or the world that ​“stands on its own.” Every public transit agency requires financial support, whether for capital or operating expenses. This is not a hand out - it’s a recognition that public transit is a critical service that provides multifaceted benefits. NJ Transit is an economic driver, not a financial liability. New Jersey should recognize that and support the agency by providing it the funding it needs to fulfill its mission and help make our state more equitable, more sustainable, and less car-dependent.

Budgets are a reflection of our values. RPA urges you as members of the NJ Transit Board of Directors to talk to state leadership about the value of public transit, and to push the state to come up with a dedicated, recurring source of funding, and to vote no on the proposed fare increase.