The changes come as an attempt to combat the nearly $300 million deficit that NJ Transit, the nation’s largest statewide public transportation system, faces for next year. Earlier this month, Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced plans to reduce the $296 million state subsidy for transportation by $33 million to control the state’s current budget deficit of $2.2 billion.
Combined with these cuts, a 4 percent decrease in ridership, rising costs and the loss of $150 million in federal stimulus funding have necessitated adjustments that Weinstein called “painful.”
Based on these projected fare increases, the price of a monthly fare from Princeton Junction to New York Penn Station, which is currently $331, would increase by $99.30, and a round-trip fare from Princeton Station to New York Penn Station would jump from $22.50 to $29.25.
Even students who are not frequent commuters said that the fare hikes might impact their travel decisions.
“It’s pretty expensive already, so if they raise it any more, it would probably be a burden,” Neilen Benvegnu ’13 said.
Benvegnu added that he often rides NJ Transit buses and takes trains to visit cousins in New York.
“I would try to find another way if it was possible, but if not I guess I would just have to deal with it,” he explained. “I’d be pretty frustrated though.”
But Paul Ginart ’10 said that he does not think that the price increase would dramatically affect his use of NJ Transit.
“I don’t travel very often, so I don’t think it would change things very much,” he explained.
Princeton students have alternatives for local transportation through the University’s Tiger Transit system, and Priceton Borough’s FreeB shuttle, which makes stops throughout the borough during weekday commuter hours.
But for those without cars who want to travel beyond the local community, there are few alternatives to the train system.
“The train is pretty convenient. I don’t really know of another way to go,” Peter Diao ’10 said.
The United Transportation Union, as well as other advocates of more public funding for mass transit, said that the 30 percent fare increase would cause 3 percent of riders to switch from public transit to private cars, increasing traffic on local roads.
“I only take the train about once a month, but I might be more likely to drive,” Lizzie Presser ’10 said.
NJ Transit operates 240 bus routes and 12 commuter-rail lines statewide, with 895,000 trips on these lines every weekday, and maintains 165 rail stations and 60 light-rail stations. In June, NJ Transit broke ground on an $8.7 billion tunnel project launched in collaboration with the state and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The tunnel would run under the Hudson River and double the number of trains traveling in and out of New York City each hour.
Read More
Yale University to join Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP)
David YunYale University has joined Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, and the New York Public Library in one of the world’s largest library and archives preservation repositories and shared collections, Research Collections and Preservation Consortium, also known as ReCAP.
Yale University has joined Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, and the New York Public Library in one of the world’s largest library and archives preservation repositories and shared collections, Research Collections and Preservation Consortium, also known as ReCAP.
Princeton rising junior passes away in cycling accident
Victoria DaviesKerry Grundlingh ’27 has passed away in a cycling accident near her home in South Africa.
Kerry Grundlingh ’27 has passed away in a cycling accident near her home in South Africa.
15 personas detenidas por ICE en Calle Harrison, explican funcionarios de Princeton
Luke GrippoSegún el alcalde de Princeton, Mark Freda, inicialmente los oficiales de inmigración solamente estaban en busca de una persona. Ana Paola Pazmiño, directora ejecutiva del grupo local de defensa de la inmigración, Resistencia en Acción NJ, reveló que los oficiales detuvieron a estas personas y les pusieron en una camioneta mientras ellos estaban de camino a su trabajo de paisajismo.
Según el alcalde de Princeton, Mark Freda, inicialmente los oficiales de inmigración solamente estaban en busca de una persona. Ana Paola Pazmiño, directora ejecutiva del grupo local de defensa de la inmigración, Resistencia en Acción NJ, reveló que los oficiales detuvieron a estas personas y les pusieron en una camioneta mientras ellos estaban de camino a su trabajo de paisajismo.