Assembly Democrats Tim Eustace and Joseph Lagana (both D-Bergen/Passaic) issued the following statement Wednesday after New Jersey Transit approved a 9 percent fare hike and service cuts:
“Unfortunately, it’s now clear that the nine public hearings NJ Transit held regarding this matter were entirely in vain, and the hard-working men and women who took time out of their busy schedules to attend went unheard,” said Eustace.
“NJ Transit and the Christie administration had several potential opportunities to seek innovative ways to avoid fare increases and service cuts; they missed every single one of them. Instead, largely because of fiscal mismanagement by this administration, those who rely on public transportation will have to stretch their already-tight budgets even further.”
“The easiest option for NJ Transit – increasing fares – was also the one that will have the most negative impact on commuters in this state. To call this disappointing would be a gross understatement,” said Lagana.
“For an administration that prides itself on ‘no new taxes,’ there seems to be a surprising level of content with burdening everyday working people financially. New Jersey residents deserve far better than this.”