NJ Transit seeking ideas from Garden State riders

NJ Transit is launching a pilot program on June 1 that is intended to produce customer-generated ideas on improving service through an open, online exchange of suggestions.

According to a press release, customers will not only be able to post their own suggestions that will be reviewed by NJ Transit management, but they will be able to read what other customers are saying and vote on the ideas they like best.

"In addition to the Web site comment area where riders currently give us feedback on their daily experience, we hope this will inspire customers to share their ideas for new and improved services at stations and terminals, as well as on bus, light rail and rail lines," said NJ Transit Executive Director Richard Sarles. "Some very good customer ideas have already been implemented and our message is we want to hear more."

For example, Sarles said a customer suggested diverting New York-bound buses off of the NJ Turnpike to Secaucus Junction or Newark Penn Station when there is severe congestion at the Lincoln Tunnel, giving bus customers rail service options to complete their trip instead of sitting in traffic.

According to the press release, NJ Transit has implemented this practice twice since February and expects to expand where appropriate to other bus services.

Customers will find a link on the NJ Transit homepage at www.njtransit.com that will guide them through the log-in to the "Rider's Platform." At the end of June the pilot program will be evaluated.

The pilot is an extension of NJ Transit's Web-based customer relationship management system developed with Salesforce.com. That externally hosted, integrated system catalogs every customer contact by telephone, e-mail, regular mail or in-person visit, helping NJ Transit to effectively and efficiently manage 50,000 customer contacts per year, according to the press release.

NJ Transit is the first public transportation agency to create an integrated, externally hosted customer relationship management system, giving management a tool to track trends, monitor individual customer suggestions and respond in a timely manner. Salesforce is funding the pilot to demonstrate that private sector applications can have benefits for public sector companies.

NJ Transit is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system, providing nearly 865,000 weekday trips on 240 bus routes, three light rail lines and 11 commuter rail lines. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 60 light rail stations and more than 18,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.