The Public Transportation Act of 1979 established New Jersey Transit to act as the statewide transit agency, to 'acquire, operate and contract for transportation service in the public interest.' New Jersey Transit took over the bus operations of Transport of New Jersey in 1980, and established rail operations in 1983, after freight operator Conrail was prohibited from providing passenger service. The ridership number was reduced to almost 110 million in the first fiscal year of the pandemic, from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the system was carrying nearly 223 million passengers per year. The NJ Transit system is the third largest public transit system in the country, behind that of New York City and Los Angeles, and is the largest statewide system. New Jersey Transit also provides rail and bus service into New York and Philadelphia, as well as light rail service in certain urban areas. New Jersey Transit is the public transit provider throughout the state of New Jersey in the United States.

New Jersey (statewide), New York, Rockland and Orange counties in New York State, and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania

Nj transit map