The New Jersey Assembly on Thursday concurred with the governor’s recommended amendments to a bill expanding accessible transportation options for New Jersey residents with disabilities and seniors.
The action sent the bill to the Senate, where it must be adopted and passed before becoming law.
Assemblyman Michael Inganamort’s bill, A2607, creates a two-year program that permits taxicabs, limousines, and transportation network companies to provide rides to New Jersey residents who would otherwise use NJ Transit’s Access Link van.
“This proposal offers a modern-day solution to address the challenges NJ Transit has experienced in providing Access Link riders timely and efficient service. It builds upon the agency’s successful pilot program and ensures our seniors and residents with disabilities have the safe, reliable and accessible transportation they deserve moving forward,” Inganamort, R-Sussex, said.
NJ Transit offers a Riders’ Choice Pilot Program that allows Access Link customers in 16 counties who do not need wheelchair lifts to opt in to receive their rides through transportation network companies. The program has reduced wait and trip times for both the riders who opt in and those who rely on the van’s wheelchair accessibility.
“Our most vulnerable residents depend on reliable transportation to get the medical care they need, groceries and life-sustaining services,” Inganamort said. “All New Jersey residents with limited mobility require more widely accessible service, but it’s especially concerning for those who live in our more rural communities who currently have very few options. I look forward to this becoming law in the near future so we can expand NJ Transit’s reach through alternate providers.”
