PATH (rail system)
- For the PATH underground city in Toronto, Ontario, see PATH (Toronto).
PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) is an electric railroad linking
Manhattan, New York with New Jersey, and providing service to Jersey City, Hoboken, Harrison, and Newark. It is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. While some PATH stations are adjacent to New York City subway stations, there are no free transfers, and the two systems operate independently.
The PATH, originally known as the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, predates the New York City subway system (the IRT). Although the railroad was first planned in 1874, existing technologies could not safely tunnel under the Hudson River. Construction began on the existing tunnels in 1890, but stopped shortly thereafter when funding ran out. Indeed, construction did not resume until 1900. The first trains ran in 1907 and revenue service started on February 25, 1908.
PATH trains only use tunnels in Manhattan and parts of New Jersey (specifically, Hoboken and downtown Jersey City). The tracks cross the Hudson through century-old cast iron tubes that rest on the river bottom under a thin layer of muck. PATH routes in most of New Jersey run in open cuts, at grade level, and on elevated track.
Stations
There are currently 13 PATH stations:
New Jersey
- Exchange Place (at the foot of Montgomery Street on the Hudson River)
- Grove Street (Newark Avenue between Grove Street and Marin Boulevard)
- Harrison (Rodgers Boulevard south of the Interstate 280 overpass)
- Hoboken (Hudson Place and River Street)
- Journal Square (Kennedy Boulevard between Pavonia and Sip Avenues)
- Newark (Newark Penn Station, Raymond Plaza between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard)
- Pavonia/Newport (Washington Boulevard and Pavonia Avenue)
New York
- 9th Street (9th Street and Sixth Avenue)
- 14th Street (14th Street and Sixth Avenue)
- 23rd Street (23rd Street and Sixth Avenue)
- 33rd Street (Sixth Avenue between 30th and 32nd Streets)
- Christopher Street (Christopher between Greenwich and Hudson Streets)
- World Trade Center (Church Street near Vesey Street)
Service
PATH operates 4 train services, using two terminals in New Jersey and two terminals in Manhattan:
- Newark-World Trade Center
- Hoboken-World Trade Center
- Journal Square-33rd Street
- Hoboken-33rd Street
From 11:00pm to 6:00am Monday to Friday and 7:30pm to 9:00am Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, PATH operates two train services:
- Newark-World Trade Center
- Journal Square-33rd Street (via Hoboken)
PATH operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Fares
As of 2001, the following is the schedule of fares for the PATH (for information on using MTA Metrocards on PATH see below):
- One-Way $1.50 (Cash or MTA Pay-Per-Ride Metrocard / Quickcard not available for one-way trips / No discounts)
- Roundtrip $3.00 (Cash, PATH Quickcard or MTA Pay-Per-Ride Metrocard / No discounts)
- Eleven Trip $15.00 (PATH Quickcard Only / Fare discounted to $1.36 per trip)
- Twenty Trip $24.00 (PATH Quickcard Only / Fare discounted to $1.20 per trip)
- Forty Trip $48.00 (PATH Quickcard Only / Fare discounted to $1.20 per trip)
- Senior Citizens $1.00 (Seniors age 65 and older must possess a PATH Senior Fare Card in order to pay the Senior Fare).
World Trade Center station
The World Trade Center station, which is one of PATH's two New York terminals, was destroyed on September 11, 2001 after terrorists crashed two hijacked airplanes into the north and south World Trade Center towers and the buildings collapsed. Just prior to the collapse the station was closed and any waiting passengers that were in the station were evacuated by a train that was already inside of the terminal. PATH service to lower Manhattan was restored when a $323 million temporary station opened on November 23, 2003; the inaugural train was the same one that had been used for the evacuation. The new station still contains portions of the original station but it does not have any type of heating or air conditioning systems installed, and is very functional in its design. The permanent World Trade Center PATH station, expected to be complete by 2006 at a cost of $2 billion, will likely be paid for through insurance settlements relating to the events of September 11th and through taxpayers funds by the State of New York and the State of New Jersey.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York introduced a program in which the MTA's Pay-Per-Ride Metrocard would be valid for payment of fares on the PATH service. The program first began at the temporary World Trade Center station. It is expected that the program will be fully implemented at all PATH stations by the end of 2004. Non Pay-Per-Ride Metrocards such as Monthly, Reduced Fares and Unlimited Ride cannot be used to pay for fares on the PATH system. It should be noted that PATH Quickcards are only valid on the PATH rail system; there are no plans to implement the use of the PATH Quickcard system at MTA owned stations.
Trivia
- There was once an 18th Street station, but it is now closed. (It can still be seen in the tunnels, between the 14th and 23rd Street stations).
- A screen projection of an advertisement can be seen between World Trade Center and Exchange Place stations, but it can only be seen on trains headed for New Jersey.