Green Jersey

As transit ridership reaches record high, advocates call for more investment

NJ Transit train image by Adam E. Moreira.

by Ian Valentine

As the global recession squeezes families’ budgets, more New Jerseyans are leaving their cars at home.

According to a report out this week, transit ridership in the state last year increased by 5 percent — the biggest increase in New Jersey’s history.

“People are voting with their feet by driving less and taking more public transportation,” said Doug O’Malley, field director for the group Environment New Jersey, which issued the report. “Congress should listen to these voters and invest more in public transportation, which will increase our energy independence and reduce global warming pollution.”

The report also showed that vehicle miles traveled dropped by 4 percent in 2008.

Legislation introduced in Congress earlier this year would base transportation funding on how much states and municipalities reduce emissions, instead of the current practice of relying on gas tax revenues.

Lawmakers are pointing to the Northern Branch project, an 11-mile extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail into eastern Bergen County, as being particularly deserving of federal funding. According to NJ Transit, only 17 percent of Bergen County commuters use rail service, as opposed to 60 percent of commuters in Union County and nearly 50 percent in Morris County.

“Investments in projects like the Northern Branch line provide (alternatives) to automobile travel, and also reduce traffic congestion, cut carbon pollution and lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil,” said Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn).

Ian Valentine is a Green Jersey contributor.