At Least Mussolini Made the Trains Run On Time

by: deciminyan

Tue Nov 08, 2011 at 03:00:00 PM EST

Over the past two years, the state's ubiquitous mass transit system, NJ Transit, has been left to flounder. While raising fares, the Governor has failed to support mass transit with the investment needed to get people to and from work.

Today, NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor is in a shambles. Due to a downed wire in Metuchen, riders are being swept past their destination station and are being forced to take slowly moving trains in the opposite direction to get to work. This helps business?

NJ Transit busses, especially in North Jersey, are overcrowded and unreliable. This helps business?

Mass transit reduces traffic congestion on our deteriorating highways and thus helps mitigate air pollution. Healthy workers show up for work. Sick workers don't help Christie's business partners.

I realize that the Northeast Corridor's tracks are owned by Amtrak, but let's face it. Christie's partners in Republican crime at the federal level are doing everything they can to eviscerate the national rail service, too.

If Governor Christie wants to demonstrate that he's pro-business, the least he can do is help ensure that the workers can get to their work place. He should put ideology aside, sit down with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Senator Frank Lautenberg, a big proponent of world-class transit, and come up with a plan to improve and promote safe, clean, and fast transportation throughout the state.