NJ Transit launched its second customer satisfaction survey online as part of the “Scorecard” initiative, putting out a call to action for customers to help measure how the agency is performing and identify areas that need improvement.

To participate, customers visit njtransit.com and complete a survey about their experience using the transit system. All customers who participate in the survey will automatically be entered to win one of five free monthly passes.

Last month, NJ Transit published the results of the first customer satisfaction survey, which asked customers to rate NJ Transit on a scale of 0 (unacceptable) to 10 (excellent) on 32 attributes of the system. Detailed survey results are available at njtransit.com.

As part of the survey, customers were asked to identify the three most important aspects of the system’s service among the items they rated. Below are the areas customers said needed to be improved, along with steps NJ Transit is taking to address them:  

Fares: NJ Transit will hold fares stable during Fiscal Year 2012.

On-time performance:  In FY 2012, $217 million will be invested in rail infrastructure improvements, including rolling stock. The agency will invest $125 million in bus and light rail infrastructure improvements, and $64 million in system-wide improvements, including technology upgrades such as Smart Bus. Making investments to keep the system’s infrastructure in a state-of-good-repair helps to ensure the reliability of the system, which in turn has a positive impact on on-time performance.

Handling of service disruptions: NJ Transit staff is speaking with customers from various rail lines who had concerns about communication during service disruptions to identify what the agency can improve.

In addition, NJ Transit is exploring new technologies around fare collection to streamline the ticket purchase process. Soon, customers will be able to use contactless credit cards to pay for transportation at New York Penn Station ticket windows and Ticket Vending Machines, at the Newark Airport Station fare gates, and select bus routes as part of a pilot program.

NJ Transit will continue to use the survey results to target specific improvements needed to boost customer satisfaction. Surveys will be conducted quarterly so the agency and members of the public can track results, marking the first time in the agency’s history that system-wide customer satisfaction surveys are being conducted on a regular, ongoing basis.

Earlier this year, NJ Transit announced the Scorecard initiative, which is intended to set corporate-wide standards of accountability and create transparency for the public. The new Scorecard provides an additional management and reporting tool that makes key statistics and performance data readily accessible to the public for the first time. NJ Transit last month unveiled its Scorecard goals for the current fiscal year, available at njtransit.com/scorecard.