For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jackie.Greger@sierraclub.org
BREAKING: NJ TransitGrid Power Plant Pulled
New Jersey Continues Transition Away From Methane Gas
Trenton, NJ - This morning, NJ TRANSIT announced the cancellation of the controversial TransitGrid project claiming it is not “financially feasible.” With the approval of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), NJ TRANSIT will redirect over $500 million in federal grant funding to other resiliency projects in the state of sites that were impacted from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, including improvements at Hoboken Terminal ($88 million), County Yard in New Brunswick ($175 million), and the Raritan River Bridge ($240 million).
This announcement is especially timely coming off of this week’s news of a 15% increase in fares expected July 1, 2024, with a 3% rate increase every year moving forward. There will be 10 public hearings on the fare adjustment proposal in 10 New Jersey counties from March 4th to March 8th. In addition to appearing in person, members of the public also may submit comments for the record online here until the comment period closes on March 8th.
In response, Anjuli Ramos-Busot, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, issued the following statement;
“After pointing out for years that it is not financially viable, the New Jersey Sierra Club is pleased to see that NJ TRANSIT has pulled this harmful project. We are glad that this decision recognizes that gas is not the future for New Jersey and hope that we can continue to move in the right direction toward renewable energy alternatives, battery storage, and incorporating climate resilience into everything that we do. This decision is a win for the local communities who are overburdened with air pollution, particularly Kearny, and the support coming from these redirected funds will better prepare our state for the impacts of climate change.
“We thank the Murphy and Biden Administrations for their agreement to relocate the funds and move the state towards a clean energy future. We urge the Murphy Administration to continue this momentum to finally allocate a reliable and stable source of funding that propels NJ TRANSIT into the future without burdening riders with additional fees. While today’s announcement is a massive step forward, there is much more work to be done in order to make NJ TRANSIT cleaner and more affordable for all New Jerseyans.”
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About the Sierra Club: The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information about our work in New Jersey, visit www.sierraclub.org/new-jersey.