Dear Editor:
When I first heard about the upcoming weekend PATH closures on the 33rd Street line, like many of you, I was disappointed. As was noted on the Reporter’s website on June 9, PATH service on the weekend 33rd Street line will be suspended from 12:01 a.m. on Saturdays until 5 a.m. on Mondays from early August until mid-December. These changes are part of an investment in our infrastructure that I hope will ensure our growing county has a reliable mass transit system in place for the long term.
I have asked for potential changes, such as leaving the system open on Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas to allow shoppers to travel to our community, but the massive scale of the upgrades makes it very difficult to create impactful repairs in a one-day period. I was also told these repairs will not result in fare hikes. I am thankful to the representatives of the Port Authority who came into my office in late June to discuss these changes, and I’d like to use this letter as a way to pass along the information that was relayed to me.
The upcoming closures will allow the PATH to increase capacity, reliability, and frequency of service, as well as meet a federally mandated change that was implemented after a 2008 fatal rail crash in California. An upgrade to the signal system will allow trains to run closer together safely, resulting in more trains and less crowding during peak times. In place of the 33rd Street service on weekends, trains will instead run to the World Trade Center station, where riders can connect to the NYC Subway system or take complimentary buses from the WTC to locations of the 33rd Street line stations.
After meeting with the Port Authority, I am confident that the upcoming PATH repairs are a step in the right direction, with the long-term health of our infrastructure in mind. I will continue to fight for the 33rd District, especially when I feel there is unnecessary spending or inconveniences to our residents, but as Hudson County grows, I hope residents are patient and understand that investments in our infrastructure will ensure that our community continues to be a beacon of tourism, recreation, and economic growth in New Jersey.
Sincerely,
Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33)