BY: NIKITA BIRYUKOV – FEBRUARY 8, 2022 6:49 AM
Lawmakers who oversee the state’s transportation systems got a clear message from advocates Monday: Our transit networks still have a long way to go.
“To determine if New Jersey has achieved transit equity, one must ask a simple question of riders: Do you have the same mobility freedom as someone with access to a car?” said Janna Chernetz, New Jersey policy director for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “Unless and until that answer is yes, we have failed to build an equitable transportation and transit network.”
At a hearing called to help set the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee agenda for this legislative session, activists pointed to a dearth of last-mile services, vacant customer advocacy positions at NJ Transit, and disproportionate impacts on the state’s most vulnerable residents to say the answer for New Jersey is still no.