Watch CBS News

Governor Murphy Signs Order Calling For New Jersey Transit Audit

SUMMIT, N.J. (CBS/AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is ordering an audit of the state's beleaguered transit agency.

The Democrat signed the executive order calling for an audit of New Jersey Transit alongside Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Monday at a rail station in Summit.

The order comes after Murphy called the agency a "national disgrace" before becoming governor last week, succeeding Republican Gov. Chris Christie. It also comes after an Associated Press report found NJ Transit had more accidents and paid more in fines for safety violations than any other commuter railroad in the country over the previous five years.

"NJ Transit was once a world-class mass transportation system," said Press Secretary Daniel Bryan. "[The governor]  wants to get back to making it reliable again."

The report came after a September 2016 train crash in Hoboken (HOH'-boh-kehn) that killed a woman and injured more than 100 people.

"Once we do the audit and we know where improvements can be made," Bryan said, "we will be implementing those ASAP."

Monday's order is the fifth Murphy has signed since taking office.

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.