Riders of NJ Transit can now pay half the price for roundtrip rides from select stations. The limited-time offer intends to make up for the inconvenience of ongoing emergency repairs on I-80.
The repair work has to do with two sinkholes on the roadway, causing significant disruption to traffic. The repairs are apparently costing the state of New Jersey around $150,000/day. The sinkholes are a result of abandoned mine shafts deteriorating under Morris County. You can explore all of the abandoned mines in New Jersey on this map.
According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, USDOT has brought in national experts in geotechnical engineering to aid in safely reopening the road.
The 50% off discount is effective as of March 24th, 2025 through the duration of the repairs, which are projected to take about six to eight weeks to complete. NJ Transit services more than 925,000 weekday trips as the largest statewide public transportation system in the country.
Governor Phil Murphy said:
While we work around-the-clock to repair the roadway, we are providing every possible travel alternative including on NJ TRANSIT trains…By offering these discounts on the trains, we will get vehicles off the road and provide residents another option to get to work or school, and back home at the end of the day.
If you are traveling from stations Hackettstown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Lake Hopatcong, and Mount Arlington, this discount will be applied. Customers will not be required to purchase a fare upon boarding. They will only have to purchase a one-way return trip back to the aforementioned stations.
NJ Transit urges commuters ultimately headed to New York Penn Station who are transferring at Newark Broad Street Station or Summit Station to obtain a transfer ticket from the train crew. This transfer ticket can then be shown to the next crew on the connecting train.
“We encourage those impacted by the I-80 repair work to take advantage of this offer,” echoed NJ Transit President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “We are pleased to offer NJ TRANSIT rail service as an alternative, allowing commuters to avoid delays, reducing congestion by taking cars off the road, and giving riders an opportunity to enjoy a more productive or relaxing trip—leaving the driving to us.”
You can find the full press release online.