Perhaps this is a sign of better things ahead for New Jersey Transit, following its worst November for on-time performance since Jim McGreevey ran the state: Any day now, the agency will be governed by an expanded board of actual transportation experts, one that even includes a pair of daily commuters.
All together now: Hark, this is a jolly development. Your heartfelt cheer is duly noted.
Now, what about money, Gov. Murphy? Because you can’t fix what’s wrong with NJ Transit if you keep ignoring the state’s fiscal crisis at the root of the problem.
Yes, there are a number of significant steps the beleaguered railroad will soon take toward restoring its credibility, all through a reform bill that just cleared its final committee hurdle and might reach Murphy’s desk as early as Monday.
Most of us will be impressed by the institutional changes and rider-friendly aspects contained therein.
And most of us are grateful for the effort put into by Assemblyman John McKeon, D-Essex, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, and former Senator Bob Gordon.
But now that this hurdle has been cleared, we hope the governor remembers there’s still a whopper ahead.
Broken record alert: These structural improvements won’t matter much if the country’s third-largest commuter railroad remains starved of assets, because the problems at NJ Transit — which are largely the result of Chris Christie’s neglect, abuse and patronage — will remain intractable unless Murphy devises a long-term funding solution.
The omnishambles Christie left behind – a crumbling hash of budget shortfalls, cannibalistic funding schemes, management dysfunction, safety violations, federal sanctions, outdated technology, and service that makes every rider’s gut seize – took a long time to create, and it will take a long time to fix. “Torn down and rebuilt,” was Murphy’s charge.
But that takes a lot of money, and his last budget didn’t exactly deliver what it takes. Like his predecessor, the governor raided the capital budget cover operations expenses, diverted money from the Clean Energy Fund, and siphoned off revenue from the Turnpike Authority.
In the end, the operating budget only got a 4-percent increase, and 3 percent of that was lost to inflation. This is beyond inadequate. It is neglect that ignores the depth of this crisis.
Yes, the reform bill is a big step, but as Janna Chernetz of Tri-State Transportation Campaign put it, “It is up to Gov. Murphy and the Legislature to maintain the momentum.”
Translation: Only a bold plan addressing its looming shortfall will solve what’s ailing NJT, and we have yet to see Murphy present one. There has been no strategy to deal with the state’s overall fiscal fiasco, and we have yet to hear Murphy even acknowledge the one proposed in August by Senate President Steve Sweeney, whose Fiscal Policy Workgroup specifies the changes we must make to the pension system, health benefits, school mergers, tax structure, and government itself.
Until Murphy makes the same effort to prevent the train wreck ahead, his hopes for NJ Transit, education, health care, and his own legacy are in jeopardy.
Yes, NJT took a step this week. Besides a more representative board, the bill calls for more public access, more legislative oversight, and the establishment of an ethics officer and customer advocate. All good.
But we’re still in the break-glass stage of these proceedings. And it will take someone with political courage to pick up the hammer.
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