Take 2 minutes to send a letter to decision makers asking them for more off-peak trains on weekdays and weekends and expanding the network to Newark Airport.
TAKE ACTION!
Update: December 19, 2024
Last Thursday’s Port Authority board meeting on December 12 was a major milestone - thanks to you! We submitted a record-breaking number of comments, showed up en masse to the public hearings, key local elected representatives joined the cause, the press is writing about the issue – and the PA heard us! This hugely positive surge of energy will help the Port Authority and elected officials provide better service.
Already you may be seeing small improvements, including “bonus trains” on weekends. More importantly, the Port Authority has heard us riders in large numbers, has committed to additional service in 2025, and we look forward to working with them to find positive solutions in the year ahead.
2024 Achievements
📝 Riders spoke up!
This year we mobilized a record-breaking 2000 people to sign petitions and write letters for improved PATH service – 10x more than last year! A stunning 1085 people asked the PATH to run more frequent trains off-peak, compared to 110 in 2023 and just 1 in 2022. Additionally, over 800 comments asked to extend PATH to Newark Airport; nearly 500 asked to operate the Lincoln Tunnel bus lanes 24/7. And dozens of riders showed up in person at the Port Authority input sessions and board meeting to speak for better service.
🗽🏛 Elected Officials in New Jersey saw you and are championing transit improvements! Thank you - thank them back!
Your Continued Support!
We've achieved so much, but our work isn’t over yet - we won’t stop until we achieve permanent PATH wins. We need YOU to help us maintain this momentum.
Volunteer
Get involved & stay up to date, volunteer by joining our Slack Workspace - we use Slack to organize and collaborate! Fill out the short form to receive an invite. We need volunteers for canvassing at PATH stations, building relationships with coalition partners, and social media.
Spread the Word
Share our letter-writing petition with other riders on the PATH trains and platforms, and ask them to sign on! Print this flyer with a QR that directs people to our petition.
Donate to Support Our Mission!
This is a volunteer-run campaign – funding will help us hire permanent staff to advocate more strongly. Support our work - donate or become an HCCS Member for as little as $5/month!
Every contribution, big or small, helps us continue fighting for A Better PATH and other transit and safe streets projects in Hudson County and the NY/NJ region.
Further Reading
Media Coverage
Resources
Background
Buses stuck in traffic entering the Lincoln Tunnel. By extending the hours of the dedicated Express Bus Lanes on weekends and off-peak, more people can travel quickly into Manhattan while reducing traffic congestion overall.
In recent years the Port Authority has made commendable capital investments into improving the PATH, including new trains, critical maintenance, and a new digital payments system. But despite ridership returning to pre-pandemic levels, the PATH is not meeting the broader region's transportation needs. We’re asking for two key improvements:
1. Frequent Off-Peak Service
The PATH runs every 20-40 minutes on weekends, weeknights and midday weekdays, despite ridership returning to pre-pandemic levels. This creates dangerous overcrowding on stations, delays and missed connections for riders.
The PATH should run every 5 minutes off-peak. This is feasible, as it runs every 2 minutes in rush hour.
2. Extend to Newark Airport
The Port Authority’s proposed $3.5B AirTrain is far over budget and does not provide the service our region needs. The PATH ends 3 miles from EWR, and riders must still transfer to NJ Transit and the AirTrain to reach the airport.
The PATH should extend directly to Newark Airport for a fast, direct, affordable one-seat ride for travelers, airport workers and Newark residents, to reduce reliance on taxis and automobiles, and to reduce congestion at Newark Airport. An extension to the airport would also provide much better transit access for residents and workers in South Newark traveling to New York and Jersey City and to the airport.
In addition to these two core improvements, we also ask for:
Extending the Lincoln Tunnel Express Bus Lanes (XBL) to 24/7 operation, and
Developing comprehensive transit alternatives in preparation for congestion pricing