Transit Briefs: NJ Transit; Metrolink

New Jersey Transit has been named to the Forbes “America’s Best Employers By State 2021” list. In addition, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink) will offer free round-trip tickets for rider use from Sept. 22, Car Free Day, until Oct. 31.

NJ Transit has ranked No. 24 out of 90 New Jersey companies listed on the Forbes “America’s Best Employers By State 2021,” which includes 1,330 companies across the country.

To compile the annual list, market research firm Statista surveyed 80,000 Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, who work for businesses with at least 500 employees. Surveys were anonymous, and were conducted on a rolling basis from October 2020 to June 2021. “Unlike Forbes’ annual lists of the best large and midsize employers, this ranking seeks to demonstrate how perceptions of companies differ from state to state based on local leadership and economies,” according to Forbes.

In 2018, NJ Transit was named one of the country’s top 500 employers in the Forbes “America’s Best Employers 2018” list.

“NJ Transit is committed to providing our customers with excellent service, and that starts with the dedicated men and women who help keep New Jersey moving each and every day,” New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said.

 “I am very proud that for the second time since 2018, Forbes has recognized our efforts to create a culture of excellence at NJ Transit, along with our providing a stimulating, supportive and inclusive working environment for our nearly 12,000 employees,” NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett said. “This Forbes distinction helps validate the hard work by many in our organization since 2018 to make NJ Transit an employer of choice in New Jersey.”

Anyone who newly downloads and registers on Metrolink’s mobile app between Sept. 13 and Sept. 22 will receive a free round-trip ticket to be used on the 538-mile, 62-station regional/commuter rail system (see map below) between Sept. 22 and Oct. 31. Sept. 22 marks Car Free Day, “a worldwide call to action to improve air quality by choosing alternate transportation, such as a train, bus, bike or walking,” the agency reported. 

Metrolink’s app is available for free download on the App Store and Google Play. 

For riders looking for a place to go on Car Free Day, Metrolink’s Explore webpage offers a curated list of leisure destinations covering its service areas of Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Metrolink riders can also earn rewards points by registering at SoCal Explorer; every mile traveled earns a point that can be redeemed for free travel, the agency reported. (Riders can even see the “positive environmental impact their decision to leave their car at home has” by visiting Metrolink’s Personal Impact Calculator.)

“Metrolink improves our environment by reducing millions of car trips annually and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions,” said Darren Kettle, who in July was named CEO of Metrolink. “With more people traveling in recent weeks, Metrolink is welcoming travelers who prefer taking a safe, relaxing and economical train ride over wasting time in stressful traffic jams.”