Governor Phil Murphy isn’t ruling out a possible fare hike for NJ Transit riders in 2019.
“We are loathe to make the commuter bear the burden as the commuter has over the past decade, so we’ve already committed to no fare increases through June 30th. I’d love to see our ability to extend that, but it’s too early to tell,” Murphy said.
Murphy made the statement as he signed legislation to reform NJ Transit’s governance and management. He said it would improve reliability and service for commuters.
“Thanks to our actions in partnership with our colleagues in the Legislature, NJ Transit will now be able to direct its efforts more efficiently and effectively to improve safety, reliability, and services for commuters. I am proud to sign a bill into law that is committed to putting NJ Transit on a positive track moving forward,” Murphy said.
The governor’s comments about a possible fare hike came just a day after he opened the door to a possible tax increase in the state in 2019. Asked about the possibility on Wednesday, Murphy said it was too soon to say whether a tax hike would be needed, but added he wasn’t taking anything off the table.
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