Transit.

It's been top of mind for folks here in New Jersey from train delays that have plagued travelers these last few weeks to debates over how to fund the failing NJ Transit system.

Some of those delays last week caused by overhead wire failures from Amtrak that halted service in and out of New York, Penn Station.

Well, that led Congressman Frank Pallone to say enough is enough.

In a call last night with Amtrak CEO saying the company needs to take immediate action to fix the problem, especially given the significant federal investments from Congress for the Northeast Corridor train service.

Now, over at the Port Authority bus terminal, Congressman Josh Gottheimer held an event today calling for more funding from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the expansion of that bus terminal.

And transit workers were out canvasing today, calling for more reliable service and a sustainable budget that's not burdening riders who depend on the rails to travel.

Ted goldberg spoke to them and has that story now.

The last few weeks have been a nightmare for NJ transit riders and it hasn't been much better for those who work on the busses.

Our members bare a lot out here in these streets.

Everything trickles down, right?

It's a trickle down effect.

So if a bus operate is late, they're bearing the burden because the train was late.

And, you know, everything falls on us.

Union members, environmentalists and transit advocates spent the morning speaking to passengers at stations statewide, asking about what people want.

That is certainly.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

The question is whether they'll get better service, especially with that 15% fare hike coming next week.

Mass transit, you know, moves people.

They get people to work.

They get people school.

They get people to shop.

They stimulate the economy.

Plus, all of our workers need a fair share.

You know, so we need something that guarantees our jobs and protects the riders as well.

We want better equipment.

On time performance.

The infrastructure as a whole.

And only getting older, more unreliable.

The system can't wait any longer.

We can't wait any longer.

Riders can't wait any longer.

As Amtrak and NJ Transit squabble over who's to blame.

A new revenue stream is projected to support the state's busses and trains.

The corporate transit fee, a two and a half percent tax on a small percentage of companies operating in the Garden State.

A modest tax on the country's biggest and most profitable corporations.

The fee will only affect corporations with profits over 10 million annually.

For all these riders already overburdened with fare increases, inflation, the high cost of living corporations are making record profits.

Passing the corporate transit fee is important.

Decades of underinvestment, a lack of care by transit lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have crippled New Jersey Transit.

But I promise you this this is not where New Jersey's transit story ends.

While the corporate transit fee is currently on schedule to be a part of this year's budget, the plan has faced heavy criticism from some of New Jersey's businesses.

I commend Governor Murphy for not kicking the can down the road.

He is addressing this issue today and for all transit riders.

Transit advocates say funny things can happen in Trenton, so they're not going to stop until the transit fee is official.

Until the ink dries on the governor's signature.

We will not stop.

It is all tough.

We need the corporate transit fee in this budget and we need it now.

As you know, things are never certain to the legislature.

Legislature passes a budget and the governor signs it all.

Too often a deal may close, but last minute side deals can derail things.

A big test for the state's transit is in two years when the World Cup comes to the Meadowlands.

All those people coming in and out conjures up unpleasant memories of transportation around the super Bowl.

Ten years ago, it.

Was a disaster.

And honestly, bus operations, which is the side that I'm on.

We were ready.

We had people on the ground ready to move, people, and for some reason rail didn't utilize us.

However, if you look back at the Beyonce concert and Miley Cyrus, I believe New Jersey Transit bus took a lead role in that.

There's still plenty of time to prepare for those huge soccer games in 2026.

A smaller soccer test starts tonight with Copa America Games at MetLife in Newark.

I'm Ted Goldberg.

NJ Spotlight News.