NJ Transit to hold sessions on how they can improve service. Riders have thoughts.

After Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed an executive order aimed at improving service on New Jersey Transit, the agency said it will listen to riders in order to help develop a plan.

Those riders have plenty of thoughts on how to make their commutes better.

“There has to be a way to do better!” said Darcy Hall, the day after Sherrill’s order that gave NJ Transit 45 days to come up with a comprehensive improvement plan.

It calls on the state’s Commissioner of Transportation to find a way the agency can, in Hall’s words, “do better.” The plan focuses on four key areas:

• Cleanliness of stations, stops, buses and rail cars
• Accessibility of escalators and boarding areas
• Public safety, including lighting, cameras and police presence
• Digital experience for riders, a.k.a. how reliable the real-time trackers are

“That’s the number 1 thing: What it says on the app, I want it to be when the train actually arrives,” said one rider.

NJ Transit’s customer advocate will hold three public listening sessions in the coming weeks to help develop a plan. The first will be held Tuesday, March 31.

Until then, what do riders want to see fixed? There were a myriad of issues they told NBC New York:

• “Sometimes they’re on time, sometimes not. It all depends, like today.”
• “I like the service, but the points I notice, though: The inconsistency with the time, when the app says this and then there’s an announcement — oh, they’re 18 minutes late,” said Maurice Quick.
• “Only problem I would have would be Newark-Penn, where it feels a little bit more unsafe when you’re standing on the [platform].”
• “It would be great if you could see out the windows – because the windows are fogged over! So when you come in you don’t know where you are, because you can’t see out the foggy windows.”

While not every rider had a complaint, many do. The findings will be relayed back to the governor, with changes expected in the months ahead.

A public survey will also be made available on NJ Transit’s website. Riders could start seeing some changes implemented by late June.