Gov. Murphy signs NJ Transit reform bill

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy yesterday signed legislation aimed at overhauling New Jersey Transit's government and management with the goal of improving service and reliability.

The bill calls for reforms to NJ Transit's board to make it more responsive to commuters; expands public and legislative oversight of the agency; institutes regular disclosure of accident and safety performance reports; strengthens whistleblower protections; and creates customer advocate and ethics officer positions at the agency.

"Thanks to our actions in partnership with our colleagues in the Legislature, NJ Transit will now be able to direct its efforts more efficiently and effectively to improve safety, reliability, and services for commuters," said Murphy in a press release.

Although the legislation is not a "panacea" for all of the beleaguered agency's  problems, it will help NJ Transit leadership deliver safer and better service to riders, said New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, a primary sponsor of the bill.

"This new law responds directly to the many commuters who too often felt that NJ Transit had stopped listening to them and caring about their needs," Weinberg said.

In January, Murphy ordered a full-scale audit of NJ Transit to review its finances, leadership structure, hiring process and customer service. Also this year, Murphy appointed Kevin Corbett to lead the agency and address its service and reliability problems.