Bill Text: NJ S2657 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires NJT to establish pilot program to provide free rides on rail, light rail, and bus service to individuals eligible for Access Link service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-12 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S2657 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2657-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires NJT to establish pilot program to provide free rides on rail, light rail, and bus service to individuals eligible for Access Link service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning a pilot program to be established by the New Jersey Transit Corporation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall establish a five-year pilot program that provides free rides on rail passenger service, light rail passenger service, and motorbus regular route service provided by the corporation, or by an entity under contract with the corporation, to individuals who are eligible for the corporation's Access Link service.
b. The corporation shall establish policies and procedures for the pilot program, including but not limited to policies that provide for a user-friendly approach that aims to reduce any barriers and provide ease of access to participants in the pilot program, the automatic enrollment of each individual who has been determined to be eligible for the corporation's Access Links service, and a free ride for the personal assistant of an eligible passenger when that personal assistant is accompanying the eligible passenger. Participation in the pilot program shall not impact an individual's eligibility or authorization to utilize Access Link service and the corporation shall provide written notice, and a verbal explanation upon request for clarification, to all individuals eligible for the pilot program that clearly indicates that participation in the pilot program does not impact the individual's eligibility or authorization to utilize Access Link service. The corporation shall also publish this notice on the corporation's website.
c. For the duration of the pilot program, the corporation shall require annual training for each employee, including employees of an entity under contract with the corporation, who may interact with participants in the pilot program on the policies and procedures for the pilot program and how to appropriately interact with such participants. This training shall be in addition to any training otherwise required by law.
d. On or before October 31 of each year, the corporation shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature. The report shall include information on the total number of trips provided pursuant to the pilot program for the previous and current year along with the expected total for the end of the current year, the total number of passengers served for the previous and current year along with the expected total for the end of the current year, the overall level of customer satisfaction with the pilot program, any costs or savings created as a result of the pilot program, any relevant feedback on the pilot program provided to the corporation by pilot program participants, advocacy groups, or community-based organizations with knowledge and expertise of the rights and challenges of individuals with disabilities, and any other information that the corporation determines is appropriate. For the fourth and fifth reports required pursuant to this subsection, the corporation shall include a section that provides analysis on how the pilot program could be improved and whether the corporation recommends that the Legislature permanently adopt the pilot program.
e. As used in this section, "Access Link service" means the paratransit service implemented by the corporation for purposes of complying with the "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990," Pub.L.101-336 (42 U.S.C. s. 12101 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect immediately but shall remain inoperative until January 1 following the date of enactment, except that the corporation shall take such anticipatory action as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act. This act shall expire on the sixth January 1 following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit) to establish a five-year pilot program that provides free rides on rail passenger service, light rail passenger service, and motorbus regular route service to individuals who are eligible for NJ Transit's Access Link service. As part of the pilot program, NJ Transit is required to provide annual training on the policies and procedures for the pilot program and how to appropriately interact with pilot program participants.
The bill requires NJ Transit to report annually on the pilot program. In the fourth and fifth years of the pilot program, NJ Transit is required to include a section in the report that provides analysis on how the pilot program could be improved and whether the corporation recommends that the Legislature permanently adopt the pilot program.
