Residents of this N.J. county finally get a say in decisions that affect their commute
Drivers and transit riders in Burlington County will have a voice on the agency that runs the Atlantic City Expressway, an airport and several transit shuttles.
A bill requiring the South Jersey Transportation Authority to add Burlington County as the seventh member county of the authority was signed into law on June 30, bringing the total number of SJTA board members to eight.
“I fought to have Burlington County included in the South Jersey Transportation Authority’s jurisdiction because it will allow us to have a more coordinated regional approach to transportation and improve mobility for our residents, which is essential considering our county is the largest county in the state, geographically,” said Senator Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, prime sponsor of the new law. “It will allow us to have the SJTA fully operate a new microtransit line that we expect to have up and running in the next few months which will better connect our residents to jobs, healthcare, education, and other essential destinations.”
Others said the county gets a seat at the table of a critical regional transportation agency.
“Burlington County will now have a seat at the table and a voice in shaping the planning and transportation decisions that impact the daily commute of South Jersey commuters,” said state Sen. Latham Tiver, R-Burlington, in a statement. “With the addition of Burlington County to the board, the SJTA will now include representatives from seven counties, ensuring regional transportation decisions better reflect the needs of the communities they serve.”
The bipartisan bill was sponsored in January by Assembly members Carol Murphy, Andrea Katz and Balvir Singh, Singleton, who are Burlington County Democrats and Tiver. It passed by both houses of the legislature on May 28.
“For far too long, South Jersey has been underrepresented, and this is an important step toward stronger regional representation and collaboration,” Murphy said in a statement. “Thank you to all of my South Jersey colleagues who helped make this legislation a reality. Together, we’re ensuring every corner of South Jersey has a seat at the table.”
In addition to operating the airport and expressway, the SJTA operates the BurLink transit system between NJ Transit bus and RiverLine light rail service. That connects three Burlington towns with employment and government service centers and the SJ Connect regional shuttle, which provides transit to underserved South Jersey communities.