Lackawanna Coalition

advocating for rail passengers since 1979

Category: Budget

  • NJT NonUnion Workers to Lose Free Ride Privileges

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    John Bobsin

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    The time-honored perk of giving all railroad employees will end January 1 for NJ Transit nonunion employees,  following action at NJT’s Oct. 15 board meeting.  Union employees have the free rides written into their contracts, so won’t be affected, at least for the time being—although union contracts are currently under negotiation.  The change would be largely…

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  • Funding Increase Coming for Northeast Corridor; Benefits Our Trains, Too

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    Donald Winship

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    The New Jersey Legislature has authorized funding for Northeast Corridor (NEC) improvements of $35.7 million for fiscal year 2013—an 81% increase over the $19.7 million originally proposed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.  The NEC line is important for rail riders in our area, because Midtown Direct trains on the Morris & Essex, Montclair-Boonton, and Gladstone trains use…

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  • No Fare Hike in NJ Transit Budget

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    Donald Winship

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    This article, formerly found at the link below, is from the Daily Record, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Lackawanna Coalition NJ Transit’s new operating budget comes without a fare increase and the lowest rate of growth in 15 years, but transit advocates said the agency could spend more to fix nagging…

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  • Toll Collection: Not Free

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    John Bobsin

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    Transit users pay fares.  Highway users (sometimes) pay tolls.  Transit users have often wondered how much of the fares they pay go to the fare-collection system.  For highway tolls, now we have some idea of how much of the toll goes not to highway maintenance or construction, but simply to collect the toll itself. The…

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  • Record Transit Aid for NJ in Senate Transportation Bill‏

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    John Bobsin

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    This article was published in the Daily Record and summarized by one of our members. It is quoted here as a matter of interest, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Lackawanna Coalition. New Jersey would get $519 million for public transit, under the federal highway bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday.…

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  • Coalition Calls for Affordable Trans-Hudson Project

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    John Bobsin

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    Coalition Calls for Affordable Trans-Hudson Project, As Feds Demand “ARC” Money Back from NJT Just as the Lackawanna Coalition made the case in New England for an affordable project that would bring a new rail tunnel into New York’s Penn Station to improve regional connectivity, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) reiterated its demand that New…

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  • Lackawanna Coalition Calls on NJT to Pass Benefits of Budget Increase on to Riders

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    Donald Winship

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    Gov. Clhris Christie has proposed an increase ofr $43.2 million in New Jersey Transit’s operating budget for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1st.  The Lackawanna Coallition has called for that money to be returned to riders.  The Coalition called for restoration of off-peak rail fares, which were eliminated last year, and for restoration of…

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  • NJT Operating Budget to Increase

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    Donald Winship

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    In a time of general belt-tightening, New Jersey Transit’s operating budget will increase.  The State’s budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1st, includes an increase of $43.2 million in operating funds for New Jersey Transit. The operating side of the transit budget was cut last year, resulting in rail fare increases…

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  • New Jersey Transit to Rehabilitate Electric Rail Cars

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    Donald Winship

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    NJT will rehabilitate 170 “Arrow III” electric cars.  The project wil cost $15.6 million, or between $91,000 and $92,000 per car.  The cars were built in the 1970s are used on most Gladstone trains, as well as Dover and Montclair trains that originate or terminate at Hoboken. The Lackawanna Coalition endorsed the move, noting that the…

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  • Coalition Objects to Potentially High Legal Bill for NJT

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    Donald Winship

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    The NJT Board of Directors has approved the hiring of the Washington lobbying and law firm of Patton Boggs, LLC, to defend the agency against a claim by the Federal Transit Administration for $271 million.  The FTA wants NJT to reimburse that sum because of the cancellation of the ARC Project in October.  Patton Boggs charges…

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