Let the commuter headaches begin: The Hoboken PATH station is closed for 25 days starting Thursday for track and station work, requiring riders to make alternative plans for travel into New York City.
The full-station closure, part of a $430 million system-wide investment, began just before midnight — and lasts until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25
While it will derail daily commutes for riders, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the closure is necessary to do work on the two tunnels into the station and is better than the alternative option of weekend service reductions for a full year. Port Authority also plans to make improvements to the station and upgrades to tracks in the nearly 117-year-old system.
The work includes repairing 4,500 feet of tracks, as well as updating platforms, switches and train cars. The Hoboken station was flooded by Superstorm Sandy, and some of the needed improvements date back to the 2012 storm.
Travel alternatives
To help ease travel troubles during the work for the estimated 20,000 daily riders, PATH will be offering free, 24/7 shuttle bus service from Hoboken to the Newport and Exchange Place station. From there, riders can take the PATH train to the World Trade Center station in lower Manhattan.
Here is the shuttle bus schedule, according to Hoboken officials:
Shuttle Weekday Schedule:
- 12 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.: Every 15 minutes
- 6 a.m. to 10:59 a.m.: Every 5 to 7 minutes
- 11 a.m. to 2:59 p.m.: Every 10 minutes
- 3 p.m. to 7:59 p.m.: Every 5 to 7 minutes
- 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.: Every 10 minutes
Shuttle Weekend Schedule:
- 12 a.m. to 5:59 a.m.: Every 15 minutes
- 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: Every 10 minutes
More PATH trains will be running between the Newport and Exchange place trains on the New Jersey side and the 33rd Street and World Trade Center stops on the Manhattan side during the closure. Trains will run every two to four minutes at Newport, and every five minutes or less at Exchange Place, during peak times. There will also be a temporary weekday train line that goes between the World Trade Center and 33rd Street stations.
Bus
NJ Transit plans to increase the frequency of the No. 126 line bus, which runs from the Hoboken station to the Midtown Bus Terminal. The supplemental service will run along Washington Street, Willow Avenue and Clinton Street. There will be more NYC-bound buses beginning at the Hoboken Bus Terminal, as well as at Washington and First Street, Washington and 11th Street, and Clinton and First Street.
The transit company advised riders that there may be more crowded conditions than normal, and they should prepare for extra travel time.
Standard bus fares will apply for trips between Port Authority Bus Terminal and Hoboken. Tickets can be purchased on the NJ Transit app, at Hoboken Station or at an HBLR vending machine, according to NJ Transit.
For more information on buses and schedules, click here.
Light Rail
NJ Transit is adding additional service on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail weekdays during rush hour.
Ferries
Ferry service will be cross-honored and expanded from the Hoboken ferry terminals, the PATH/NJ Transit station terminal, and the 14th Street terminal. NY Waterway will be expanded crosstown bus service from the Midtown/West 39th Street terminal. Ferry service will also run until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 12 a.m. on weekends at the Hoboken terminals.
PATH riders can use NY Waterway ferries between Hoboken and NYC for the same cost of a one-way PATH fare, $3. The city of Hoboken advised riders that special PATH Ferry Tickets can be purchased on the NY Waterway App or at a NY Waterway Ticket Counter.
While boarding, commuters are required to show a valid PATH fare card payment mechanism (SmartLink Card, MetroCard, or digital pass from the RidePATH App) along with the special PATH Ferry Ticket.
“We recognize that a full station closure is disruptive, but it allows us to fast-track extensive repair work within the station and critical infrastructure around it that otherwise would have involved years of intermittent closures if we performed it piecemeal,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton in a statement. “We are committed to full transparency throughout this process and providing an array of travel alternatives during the closure.”
Transit leaders are confident the station will reopen in less than a month. The agency said the timing was best because February sees some of the lowest ridership. However, some riders may not appreciate the timing, given it comes on the heels of increased fares and congestion pricing.
More information on the closure is available on the PATH site here.
