NJ TRANSIT RIDERSHIP TOPS 800,000 TRIPS A DAY

Increase represents average five percent growth over last year

September 22, 2005

NEWARK, NJ ¿ NJ TRANSIT set historic ridership records last Fiscal Year across virtually all of its services and now counts 800,000 passenger trips as an average business day. As of June 30, the Corporation reported it had nearly 37,000 new daily customer trips, representing a total growth of more than five percent over Fiscal Year 2004. The Corporation¿s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

"These demand trends are fueled by the new and expanded rail, bus and light rail services we¿ve put in place," said Executive Director George D. Warrington. "Coupled with a strong regional economy and job market, and oil price increases, more people are relying on public transportation than ever before."

NJ TRANSIT said the fastest growing segments of its service last year were light rail services, as well as New York-bound train and bus services. Hudson-Bergen Light Rail saw 6,000 new passenger trips over last year ¿ a 32.4 percent increase, bringing the average weekday ridership up to 21,050. In South Jersey, River Line ridership was up 28.7 percent to carrying an average of 6,100 weekday trips or 1,750 new passenger trips.

New York-bound commuter services also saw an uptik in customers. On the bus side, passenger trips to the Port Authority Bus Terminal were up by 8.4 percent with 163,700 trips. On the rail side, nearly 140,000 passenger trips were recorded into Penn Station New York, up nearly two percent from last fiscal year.

Among rail riders, demand for Northeast Corridor services grew more than three times that of any other rail service, with 4,450 new daily trips. Main Bergen, Pascack Valley Line services, which benefited from Secaucus Transfer options, increased by more than eight percent.

Warrington said that the Frank R. Lautenberg Station at Secaucus Junction recently had a record day of 10,650 trips and now averages more than 10,300 commuter trips on weekdays.

More than 18,000 daily bus customer trips were added last year, with more than half of the bus increase¿12,850 customer trips¿coming on New York-bound commuter bus lines.

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 800,000 daily trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 162 rail stations, 52 light rail stations and more than 17,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.