A trio of Monmouth County Republican legislators are demanding a special hearing to investigate the issues that have plagued NJ Transit in recent months.
State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Little Silver), Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Middletown), and Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn (R-Holmdel) called for an “immediate” hearing to bring NJ Transit leaders before the Legislature on Thursday afternoon. The calls come as transit leaders were forced to suspend service on the North Jersey Coast Line after a signal issue forced the closure of the Raritan River Bridge in Middlesex County.
“The Raritan River Bridge malfunction is just the latest in a series of systemic issues that need immediate and thorough investigation,” O’Scanlon said in a Thursday release. “We demand answers on when this will be fixed and how NJ Transit plans to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Federal legislatures have also demanded inquiries into recent NJ Transit service delays. New Jersey’s House delegation asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to investigate a series of Amtrak wire issues that prevented NJ Transit trains from accessing New York’s Penn Station during much of June.
The group of lawmakers said the 15 percent fare hike, which kicked into effect this month, only exacerbates the issues.
“The fare increase is a heavy burden on the hard-working families of New Jersey, especially when service reliability continues to decline,” Flynn said in a Thursday release. “The latest issue with the Raritan River Bridge is not only a logistical nightmare but also a safety hazard.”