Christie: No fare hikes from NJ Transit contract deal

A sign, center, alerts commuters of a possible strike by the NJ Transit rail workers as commuters stand on the platform at Newark Penn Station, Friday, March 11, 2016, in Newark, N.J. More than 100,000 commuters use NJ Transit to get into New York City, and the transit agency says its contingency plan using extra buses will only be able to accommodate about 40,000 riders. NJ Transit has estimated that a one-hour commute by train will more than double. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A sign, center, alerts commuters of a possible strike by the NJ Transit rail workers as commuters stand on the platform at Newark Penn Station, Friday, March 11, 2016, in Newark, N.J. More than 100,000 commuters use NJ Transit to get into New York City, and the transit agency says its contingency plan using extra buses will only be able to accommodate about 40,000 riders. NJ Transit has estimated that a one-hour commute by train will more than double. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

By Associated Press March 12, 2016 3 min read

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey commuters won’t have a New Jersey Transit strike as an excuse to miss work Monday, and Gov. Chris Christie says they won’t have to worry about fare hikes for awhile to cover the cost of a tentative deal reached with rail workers.

The deal, announced Friday between the transit agency and its rail workers, averts a strike that would have thrown Monday’s commute into New York into chaos. It puts to rest a dispute that has been percolating for nearly five years, when the last contract expired.

Rail workers had threatened to walk off the job Sunday morning.

“I’m pleased. I think we came to a fair, reasonable accommodation to the interests of the union and the interests of the taxpayers of the state,” Christie said.

Christie said the deal won’t lead to the need for a fare hike or service cuts, at least through June 2017.