NJ TRANSIT Marks 40 Years: 1979-2019

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT was founded on July 17, 1979 as New Jersey’s statewide public transit provider. NJ TRANSIT began by acquiring and operating bus services from private carriers, including significant operations built in the early 20th Century by NJ’s largest energy provider, Public Service Electric & Gas. In 1980, NJ TRANSIT began operating the Newark City Subway, now known as the Newark Light Rail.

In 1983, NJ TRANSIT acquired New Jersey’s passenger train services from Conrail, which had operated them under contract with the NJDOT. Midtown Direct service began in the 1990s, and Secaucus Junction opened in 2003.

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail began service in 2000, and has grown to connect communities all along the Hudson Waterfront. The River Line opened In 2004, giving communities along the Delaware River a direct connection to Trenton and Camden.

Forty years after its founding, NJ TRANSIT is the largest statewide transit provider, and third-largest transit provider in America. It provides more than 925,000 daily trips on 251 bus routes, thirteen train lines, three light rail lines, and AccessLink paratransit.

NJ TRANSIT’s team of more than 11,000 hard-working men and women remain committed to providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to the residents of New Jersey. NJ TRANSIT leadership, with the support of Governor Murphy and the legislature, is equally committed to improving the customer experience through significant investments in additional personnel, new bus and rail vehicles, technology upgrades and capital improvements to our infrastructure. We thank our customers for the last 40 years and look forward to the privilege of serving you for the next forty years.