TRENTON, N.J. — As a statewide NJ Transit rail strike enters its third day, State Senator Latham Tiver (R-08) is urging immediate passage of his proposed New Jersey Transit Accountability Act, legislation that would require an independent audit of the agency’s finances and operations.
Tiver introduced the bill, S-2957, to address what he described as long-standing fiscal mismanagement within NJ Transit. The ongoing labor strike, he said, is a symptom of deeper operational and budgetary failures.
“This strike is not just about contract disputes. It’s the culmination of years of fiscal mismanagement and the wrong priorities at NJ Transit,” Tiver said in a statement Friday. “The public deserves to know how one of the state’s most critical agencies is spending its money.”
Tiver cited recent comments from union leaders, including Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) National President Mark Wallace, who criticized NJ Transit for allocating significant funds toward a new headquarters and other non-operational expenses. “They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers,” Wallace said.
Tiver also criticized state leadership for blocking the proposed audit last year, adding that NJ Transit “spent $500 million on new offices and millions on interior design, but can’t even operate the trains for 350,000 daily commuters.”
The senator concluded by stressing the importance of transparency, calling NJ Transit’s current situation a matter of economic urgency for commuters and taxpayers alike.
