NJ Transit riders should prepare to pay more, as a new fare increase goes into effect on July 1st, 2025. The base price of a one-way trip on a bus or light rail is now $1.85.
Remember that the fares are dependent on the number of zones and whether you’re traveling interstate or intrastate. Riders can use the NJ Transit trip planner to figure out the exact cost of their journey.
For example, bus riders will need to cough up $5.15 for a three-zone bus fare to get from Jersey City to NYC’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.
This marks a 3% increase from 2024 fares, and it’s expected to set the trend for annual fare hikes moving forward. “This allows us to continue to operate full service while making necessary improvements to the customer experience and maintaining the ability to respond to evolving needs,” said NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith.
According NJ.com, this fare increase intends to generate an extra $33 million to put towards NJ Transit’s $3.2 billion fiscal year 2026 operating budget. NJ Transit expects expenses will increase $151.9 million from last year’s budget.
Although NJ residents may be upset by the increase, last year’s fare hike rose 15% from 2023 to 2024, as a result of inflation, aftereffects of Covid-19, lower ridership and a projected budget gap.
Quick information
Here is everything about the NJ Transit fare spike at a glance.
New NJ Transit base fares
🚌 Bus/Light Rail: $1.85
🚆 Rail: Dependent on specific route
Reason for increase
The fare increase is to combat its significant budget gap caused by:
- Low ridership (below pre-pandemic levels)
- Exhausted federal Covid-19 relief funds
- Inflation (rising cost of fuel, wages, etc.)
Effective date
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025
For more information, go to NJ Transit’s website.