By Sheila Reynertson

The first step in solving any problem is recognizing one exists.



With the release of the Murphy administration's NJ Transit audit, New Jersey has laid the foundation for course-correcting after years of disinvestment and disrepair at the beleaguered transit agency.



Once a crown jewel of the state - and a model for the nation - NJ Transit has lost its luster, earning a new reputation among the state's commuters as dangerous and unreliable. The delays, cancellations, and overcrowding that defined the "Summer of Hell" have become the new normal, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel.





For this to happen in New Jersey is unacceptable, as 1 in 10 members of the state's workforce rely on NJ Transit buses, trains, and light rail to get to and from work every day. This is twice the national average and amounts to over 270 million passenger trips every year. Absent NJ Transit, the state's already congested highways would have to handle an additional 800,000 cars on the road Monday through Friday, mostly during rush hour.



New Jersey's great advantage is its close proximity to New York City and the metro region's booming job market. But without a quick and easy way to get back and forth, that advantage wanes and New Jersey loses its competitive edge in attracting and keeping its jobs and residents. The state is also missing out on a golden opportunity to win over city residents fed up with the deterioration of their own subway system amidst rising housing costs.

Simply put, a reliable mass transportation system is central to the New Jersey's economy and the future prosperity of its working families.



So how did we get here? NJ Transit's rapid fall from the nation's best-performing transportation system did not happen by chance.



Woven into the 166-page report is a tale of political cronyism, key executive staff departures, widespread mismanagement and a free-fall loss of confidence among commuters. Fortunately, those weaknesses can be fixed with the right kind of leadership at the helm.

But to truly reverse course, the state must stop short-changing NJ Transit's operational budget.



The reality is that the Christie administration slashed state funding for NJ Transit to pay for billions of dollars in tax cuts and subsidies for the state's wealthiest corporations and individuals. Years of generous tax cuts -- most of which are still on the books -- have left New Jersey without enough revenue to properly invest in the assets most important to the state's economy.



Since 2010, $8 billion has been diverted to ineffective tax subsidies for corporations, while millionaires received over $4 billion in tax cuts and businesses got over $3 billion in tax cuts, too. Those policy decisions were enacted without much pushback, but the effect on NJ Transit has been brutal.



Over the same time period as the Christie administration's tax cuts, the state subsidy for NJ Transit dropped 90 percent despite rising operational and mechanical costs. Such a rapid decrease required drastic reductions in NJ Transit operating and capital expenditures, forcing the agency to immediately release all non-critical employees, reduce or eliminate non-essential maintenance, and reduce functional support positions. Capital programs were eliminated and repairs were halted, resulting in today's frequent cancellations and delays.



The consequences of these radical cuts play out every time transit ticket prices jump or a train leaving Manhattan has a mechanical failure. In other words, to pay for the tax cuts that favor the well-connected, a key driver of New Jersey's economy is left to wither on the vine.



The audit couldn't have been more clear about this: NJ Transit's current funding stream is unpredictable, unreliable, and steadily decreasing. In order to manage its assets and invest in its future needs, NJ Transit must receive long-term, sustainable funding for decades to come. It's time to push back and demand that lawmakers do what's best for the economy and New Jersey's working families by rolling back exorbitant tax breaks for the wealthy and instead prioritizing the state's critical assets. It's time to put NJ Transit back on track.

Sheila Reynertson is senior policy analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.