NJ Transit offers commuters weeklong free service

Aug. 16 (UPI) -- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced a week of free public transit as compensation for service disruptions that have occurred over the summer.

In a statement Thursday, the Democratic governor said the NJ Transit network will be free from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2.

Monthly pass holders who have already purchased their pass for August will receive a 25% discount on their September monthly pass, he said.

He called the measure "a transit fare holiday" that was a "thank you" to the hundreds of thousands who use the service to commute daily.

"As we work diligently with Amtrak to investigate and address the issues that have occurred this summer, especially on the Northeast Corridor, we hope this fare holiday offers our commuters some relief," he said.

"We also encourage New Jerseyans to take advantage of this opportunity, and we continue to be thankful to the many New Jerseyans who depend on public transit."

According to the governor's office, NJ Transit has been hit by service disruptions over the summer, especially on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which is the busiest corridor in the nation.

While they work to figure out the root causes of the disruptions, the governor's office said "significant short-term actions" have already been implemented, including increased equipment inspections on platforms as well as increased inspections and repairs of overhead wires, track signal systems and substations.

"The fare holiday is a way to express the sincere appreciation for customers' continued loyalty and patronage, particularly during a time when transit service has not consistently met their expectations -- or our own," the governor's office said in the statement.

"NJ Transit recognizes the impacts these service issues have had over the past few months and remains committed to improving the travel experience for transit customers."