New Jersey governor's budget would triple NJ Transit funding

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this week proposed tripling state funding for New Jersey Transit as part of his $37.4 billion budget plan for fiscal-year 2019.

Under the governor's proposed budget, NJ Transit would receive an additional $242 million to support rail and bus operations for a total of $383 million, NJ.com reported. The funds also would help fill gaps in staffing.

The additional funding represents a 172 percent increase over last year's state funding for the agency, according to a press release issued by Murphy's office. The funds also would mark the largest state appropriation to NJ Transit in the state's history.

The influx of fresh funding would be the "first step in rebuilding an agency that has been hallowed out," Murphy said on Twitter. "We must restore the value for money our commuters deserve when riding NJ Transit."

Murphy has previously called NJ Transit a "national disgrace." In January, he signed an executive order mandating a full-scale audit of the agency. That same month, he nominated Kevin Corbett to serve as NJ Transit's executive director, with responsibility for implementing the audit's recommendations.