After vetoing legislation that would have started the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on the road to reform, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Christopher Christie issued recommendations that have a number of local officials seeing red.
Among the recommended changes would include possibly privatizing the PATH service between New York and New Jersey, and doing away with service between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
“This is one of the dumbest ideas that has been proposed in the last six years and again illustrates how out of touch the leadership of the Port Authority and Trenton is with the both the economic needs of state residents and the day to day demands of New Jersey’s working families,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. “Whether it is nights, weekdays, or weekends, New Jersey’s future economic growth relies on an increase in service on PATH and similar transit systems, not a decrease. Additionally, not everyone works Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and eliminating weeknight PATH service would severely impact our working class New Jersey residents.”
“Both the suggestion and the timing of the suggestion are beyond irresponsible,” said Councilwoman Candice Osborne, who represents Ward E in Jersey City, an area where many people use the PATH. “A loss of nighttime PATH service will hurt middle class shift workers, stifle our housing market and the jobs it supports, and will increase the number of drunk driving incidents.”
“Both the suggestion and the timing of the suggestion are beyond irresponsible.” – Councilwoman Candice Osborne
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In Hoboken, where residents would also be impacted, Councilman Ravi Bhalla said he would introduce a resolution opposing the recommendations.
”Among the concerns expressed in the resolution is the potential impact of eliminating late night PATH service upon the feasibility of the New Jersey Transit Railyards Development Plan,” Bhalla said in a statement. “The mayor, City Council, residents and many stakeholders just recently undertook a lengthy and costly process of approving a redevelopment plan that includes an additional 2.3 million square feet of development at the doorstep of the Hoboken PATH station. It is reasonable to believe this was done with the expectation that the Port Authority would continue to honor, if not grow, its PATH service commitments to accommodate the increased usage anticipated by the plan.
Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia, who is a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, also issued a statement.
“A plan being considered by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to possibly eliminate overnight PATH train service is a bad idea that could have a devastating impact on thousands of commuters,” he said. “Many of the 244,000 riders who use the PATH every week are hardworking residents from my district in Hudson County. Cutting this rail service would cut their livelihood because many of these working class citizens with limited resources would have no affordable alternative to get to and from work in the middle of the night. White collar workers, revelers, and tourists would also be left scrambling trying to find a way back across the Hudson River.”
He went on to say that reducing PATH service could also impact the state and local economy. Transit hubs like Hoboken, where more than 50 percent of residents rely on public transportation, owe much of their growth to rail service like the PATH.
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez also weighed in against the recommendations.
“As someone who has consistently fought for resources to help New Jersey commuters and expand our public transit systems, I have serious concerns with the Governors’ proposal to privatize PATH or cut system services,” he said. “The notion of using Port Authority reform as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for transit cutbacks is ill-conceived. More than anywhere else in the nation, our region depends on transit for our economic viability and quality of life. To that end, we must have a Port Authority that is responsible and responsive to the people it serves. As long as the Port Authority is going to charge New Jerseyans $14 to cross its bridges and tunnels, a viable transit alternative is essential.”
Menendez said he was deeply disappointed in Gov. Christie’s decision to veto reform legislation passed unanimously by both the New Jersey and New York State Legislatures.
“These are common-sense reforms that are key to rebuilding the public trust after decades of questionable decision-making and mismanagement by the Port Authority,” he said. “Their customers and the taxpayers of New Jersey deserve better.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.