NJ Transit is deteriorating. As one of the most important economic and cultural hubs in the world, we need modern public transportation. Reliable access to public transportation helps local businesses and creates new job opportunities for residents. It helps reduce congestion for drivers and is better for our environment. While working towards the long-term goal of world class transit, we can secure small wins now that improve our everyday lives.
Let’s restore pre-pandemic bus routes to address transportation deserts in Livingston, West Orange, Roseland, and beyond.
Montclair does not have weekend train service to New York City. The routes that are available to Hoboken run infrequently. Let’s get more frequent trains running into Hoboken, connecting to the PATH or ferries, to start. Families living so close to the city should not have to drive in to get to a game or show.
New York has enacted congestion pricing. They’re not reversing course. Let’s get them back to the table and negotiate a regional solution that reinvests shared revenue into public transportation going to New York.
The new tunnels and rehabilitation promised by the Gateway Program to increase capacity to and from NY Penn Station are still at least a decade away. In the meantime, let’s fight for more accountability and funding from Amtrak. We should proactively manage trees and potential obstructions around the tracks. We should invest in predictive maintenance technology to improve uptime and support faster repairs of catenaries.
