Commuters who count on New Jersey Transit to get to work and back know they’ll be digging even deeper in their pockets when the 9 percent fare increase goes into effect October 1. But they may be shocked by the depth of the hole: The cost of a weekly ticket between Aberdeen-Matawan and New York Penn Station has outpaced inflation by 24.1 percent since 1982, according to the Tristate Transportation Campaign. The price of a weekly ticket in ’82 was $42.00; after the fare hike it will be $127.53.
Riders who shell out for a monthly pass don’t do much better: Fares have climbed from $140 to $420.74 (22.8 percent). Buying a one-way daily ticket is the best bet: The fare since 1982 has gone from $5.00 to $14.99 — outpacing inflation by just 22.5 percent.
The Tristate Transportation Campaign bills itself as a nonprofit advocacy organization working toward a more balanced, transit-friendly, and equitable transportation system in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.