(The following article by Larry Higgs was posted on the Asbury Park Press website on May 3.)
NEWARK, N.J. — Some drivers may not want to pump their own gas, but a record number of them got on NJ Transit trains and buses in the last four months to save money on rising gas prices.
Officials from the commuter agency said Tuesday that ridership jumped 11 percent for the first four months of 2006 and announced steps they’re taking to help the new wave of transit riders. That includes redeploying workers to phone centers to field customer calls, beefing up the agency’s Web site to help riders find parking and schedules, and in the next few months, add more buses and rail cars.
Increases have been seen all across the rail, bus and light rail system, compared to the same time last year, said Dan Stessel, NJ Transit spokesman.
Ridership increased by 6 percent in January, February and March, and rising gas prices in April prompted another 5 percent gain, Stessel said. Officials are still analyzing the figures and haven’t determine which bus and rail lines had the most growth, he said.
“Some (drivers) have opted to switch to public transportation, and we’re working to welcome them to the system,” Stessel said.
That includes creating a new section of the agency’s Web site to help new customers plan trips and get rail and bus schedules, adding an online parking capacity tracker to tell customers the space availability of 16 parking areas controlled by NJ Transit, and offering a free round-trip ticket to customers who buy monthly passes by mail.
Commuter advocates said officials are doing the right things in responding to the demand.
“What they’re doing is moving in the right direction,” said Ralph Braskett, New Jersey coordinator for the Committee for Better Transit. “The worst thing for someone to do is get to a parking lot and find it’s full.”
Braskett suggested listing full parking lots on the Web site and having additional customer service people answering phones on weekends.
NJ Transit officials began tracking ridership when gas prices increased after Hurricane Katrina last August, Stessel said.
In January, the agency leased or purchased 73 more cruiser buses and added 160 bus trips, including some on the Route 9 corridor. During the next several months, officials plan to add 101 more trips on 31 routes, which are still being identified, Stessel said. The first new bi-level rail cars are scheduled for delivery this fall, he added.
“I’d expect bus ridership to be higher than rail because it penetrates so many areas that rail doesn’t, like the Route 9 corridor,” Braskett said. “Eleven percent is a hell of a jump.”
Officials haven’t decided about a potential fare increase to cover rising fuel costs, although the agency had to budget more money for fuel in fiscal year 2006 than in fiscal year 2005, Stessel said.
“At this point, it is too soon to predict the impact on next year’s budget,” he said. “We’re keeping a close eye on our budget.”