NJ Assembly committee advances bills on transit access, fares

One measure would expand training for bus operators, while another would create discounted fares and a reloadable transit card.

New Jersey lawmakers have advanced two bills aimed at removing barriers to public transportation, including one that would establish discounted NJ Transit fare programs and another requiring bus operators to receive additional training to assist passengers with disabilities.

The Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee unanimously voted Oct. 15 to advance bill A2329, which would create two programs designed to reduce transportation costs and expand access to career and educational opportunities.

The legislation would establish the NJpass Program and the GO NJ Transit Card Program.

The NJpass Program would allow employers, colleges, training and apprenticeship programs, government agencies, and public or nonprofit social service providers to negotiate bulk discounted fares for employees, students, clients, or customers.

The GO NJ Transit Card Program would establish a reloadable smart card for use on NJ Transit buses, trains, and light rail services. The card would use a fare-capping system designed to ensure passengers pay the lowest authorized fare without having to purchase a weekly or monthly pass upfront.

The bill is sponsored by Assemblymembers William Moen (D-Camden, Gloucester) and Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex), and co-sponsored by Wayne DeAngelo (D-Mercer, Middlesex), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex, Union) and Michael Venezia (D-Essex).

“For hundreds of thousands of riders, the services provided by NJ Transit are not optional. We’ve made a commitment to making New Jersey more affordable, and few expenses have a more direct impact on people’s daily lives than the cost of getting around,” Coughlin said.

Asked whether the discounted fares would impose additional costs on commuters already facing mandatory annual 3% fare increases, Moen said lawmakers had discussed with NJ Transit how the NJpass Program would be phased in alongside those increases. He said the program could help drive demand “should these incentives be offered.”

Moen said only NJ Transit could answer whether additional fare increases would be necessary. The agency had no representatives at the meeting.

He also compared the proposed NJpass Program to senior discounts for New Jersey Turnpike tolls to illustrate how he expects the program to work.

Under the bill, NJ Transit would be required to submit reports to the governor and Legislature evaluating the effectiveness of the NJpass and GO NJ Transit Card programs.

The New Jersey Business and Industry Association supports the bill.

Additional training for bus operators

The committee also unanimously advanced bill A2131, which would require New Jersey bus operators to receive additional training on assisting passengers with disabilities.

The legislation would require bus operators to learn about different types of disabilities and organizations that provide resources for passengers and bus operators. It would also expand training to improve the safety and comfort of passengers with disabilities, including instructions on how to assist them during accidents or service interruptions.

Lisa Ford, assistant executive director of programs and services at The Arc of New Jersey, told legislators NJ Transit buses remain a primary mode of transportation for many people with disabilities, in addition to commercial rideshare services and NJ Transit Access Link.

She said public transportation promotes dignity and independence, and that additional training would give family members of people with disabilities “much needed peace of mind.”

“Operators that are trained to understand the unique needs of people with IDD [Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities] would feel more confident communicating and providing assistance, especially when a passenger’s disability is not immediately visible,” Ford said.

Gina Marie Williams, a Warren County resident who identifies as having a disability, also supported the bill, citing “there’s endless encounters of this [discrimination on bus routes] in my life … as well as with others.”

Williams said she had heard of bus operators yelling at people with disabilities who engage in stimming, a repetitive, self-soothing behavior common among people on the autism spectrum.

“It’s alarming that it has to be a law,” Williams said. “Some people would think it’s just courtesy to respect everybody.”

Luke Koppisch, deputy director of the Alliance Center for Independence, appeared in support of the bill, calling public transportation a “lifeline” for people with disabilities and “the difference between employment and not being employed … between being isolated and being part of the community.”

Koppisch recalled an incident involving a member of the Alliance Center for Independence whose wheelchair became stuck on a bus’s wheelchair lift in midair while the passenger was trying to exit.

He said the bus operator was not equipped to address the malfunction, delaying bus service. NJ Transit was unable to resolve the issue, and firefighters were called to safely lower the wheelchair lift to the ground.

“This incident never should have happened,” he said.

Assemblymember Linda Carter (D-Somerset, Union), who sponsored the legislation, said bus operators have an important responsibility to assist passengers.

“When someone is unable to board the bus, it’s more than a missed trip,” Carter said in response to Koppisch’s testimony.

Carter said inaccessible public transportation negatively affects the confidence of people with disabilities and “their ability to rely on a service that should be there for them.”

Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee Chair Clinton Calabrese (D-Bergen, Passaic) and Assemblymember Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer) also sponsored bill A2131. Assemblymembers Carmen Theresa Morales (D-Essex) and William B. Sampson IV (D-Hudson) co-sponsored the bill.