Murphy Signs Historic NJ Transit Reforms, Vows It Will Improve

SUMMIT, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation on Thursday at the Summit train station to comprehensively reform the management of NJ Transit, which he vows will lead to improved service and reliability for New Jersey commuters.

The new law adds more regular bus and train riders to NJ Transit's board of directors; institutes regular disclosure of accident and safety performance reports; strengthens whistleblower protections; and creates Customer Advocate and Chief Ethics Officer positions within the agency, both of which are new.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen County) spoke at the Summit train station Thursday morning and praised the historic reform.

"This bill is not a panacea. But it will make NJ Transit one of the most representative, responsive and transparent public transit agencies in the country," she said. "This reform legislation is the culmination of months of hearings into the systemic problems that have plagued New Jersey Transit."

Some of the most important changes in the new law include the creation of a new NJ Transit Board that will include both rail and bus commuters, as well as trustees recommended by major North and South Jersey transportation planning agencies. It sets up 15-member commuter advisory boards for North and South Jersey, and creates a Customer Advocate to represent the needs of commuters within the agency on a daily basis.

Going forward, there will now not only be public hearings for fare increases, but also public hearings if and when NJ Transit plans to eliminate or curtail service on any rail, bus or light rail line. For the first time, it also requires board members to attend those hearings to listen directly to the public.

Also for the first time, it requires the full Board to vote on any of those service reductions.

NJ Transit will now be required to provide a two-year budget and detailed financial information to the state Legislature by April 1 of each year so that we can ensure that the agency is adequately funded. And it requires a detailed reporting of accident and safety records and of discrimination and harassment lawsuits.

"NJ Transit lost its way through a series of bad policy and personnel decisions that left it unable to fulfill its basic duty - get people to work safely on time," said Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex County). “What we learned last year was shocking and disappointing. This is the reform that NJ Transit needs if it's to remain accountable to the people of New Jersey."

Here is the video from the Thursday morning press conference at the Summit train station:

Here are all the specific changes:

• Create a new, broadly representative 13-member NJ Transit Board of Directors chaired by the Commissioner of Transportation that will include at least one rail and one bus commuter; one representative each recommended by the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and by the New Jersey members of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; four public board members with transportation policy experience, including one each recommended by the Senate President and the Assembly Speaker; the State Treasurer and one representative of the Governor’s Office; and two non-voting representatives of the largest NJ Transit rail and bus employee unions.
• Expand public hearing requirements to mandate daytime and evening hearings, each of which must be attended by at least two NJ Transit Board members, for fare increases and for the elimination or substantial curtailment of service on any rail, bus or light rail line. Require the full NJ Transit Board to vote on all fare increases or the elimination or substantial curtailment of service.
• Require 50 percent of board meetings to be held in the evening to facilitate commuter attendance and input.
• Require NJ Transit to submit a two-year budget including operating and revenue projections, ridership data, employee statistics and the status of capital projects, by April 1 each year to enable the Legislature to ensure that the agency is adequately funded during its budget deliberations.
• Require the public disclosure of detailed data on accident and safety records, and on discrimination and harassment lawsuits.
• Require the appointment of a Chief Ethics Officer to investigate allegations of unethical conduct or illegal activity within the agency.
• Establish a whistleblower protection program and a toll-free hot line for reporting improper activity.
• Establish the right of legislative committees to call in NJ Transit’s chair and top two executives for public hearings.
• Set up broadly representative 15-member North Jersey and South Jersey Transportation Advisory Committees to be made up primarily of rail, bus and light rail commuters to advise NJ Transit’s management and its Board of Directors.
• Create a Customer Advocate, as recommended by the Governor’s NJ Transit audit, to represent the needs of commuters within the agency on a daily basis.
• Revise procurement and contracting provisions to make NJ Transit more efficient.
• Authorize NJ Transit to enter into contracts to operate passenger ferry and light rail service, which were not included in the original law.

"This legislation responds directly to the concerns of the many commuters who too often felt that NJ Transit had stopped listening to them and stopped caring about their needs," said Weinberg on Thursday morning. "This bill ensures that will never happen again."

Governor Murphy photo