In a letter to the editor, the 15-member PATH Riders’ Council explains why the upcoming 25-day Hoboken PATH station closure is necessary despite the inconvenience.
Dear Editor,
We, the members of the PATH Riders’ Council (PRC), endorse the plans of PATH to mitigate travel disruptions due to the upcoming 25-day closure of the PATH station in Hoboken scheduled to begin at midnight January 30, 2025, through February 25, 2025.
Over the past few months the PRC has been extensively briefed and has contributed suggestions on how to improve the plan.
While we understand that this will be a major disruption to the lives of commuters, we concur with PATH that this provides the best approach to a challenging project.
The work that will occur during this closure involves the replacement of critical infrastructure and major station improvements.
PATH will replace in-station tracks and the Hoboken Interlocking, the intricate system of tracks and switches that allows all service from two tunnels to access three tracks at the Hoboken Station.
Without the continuous 25-day outage, this work would require four complete weekend shutdowns due to the scale and location of the Interlocking, and an additional 50 consecutive days of reduced service levels in and out of Hoboken due to the reduction in station track capacity required to maintain safe operations during the construction.
We agree that the 25-day closure schedule is an inconvenient, but far better alternative.
In preparation for the station shutdown, PATH has proactively worked with NY Waterway, NJ Transit Bus, and Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and will provide shuttle service from Hoboken station to Newport and Exchange Place PATH stations.
Plans continue to develop and other alternatives may also be available. We advise the riding public to consult the project’s website – panynj.gov/HobokenClosure for further project updates and travel alternatives.
The PATH Riders’ Council is a standing council that was formed in 2014 as part of an initiative to enhance public outreach.
The goal of the PRC is to garner feedback from PATH riders, and to confer with PATH to ensure riders have a voice on topics related to system design, service, and operations decision-making.
The PRC consists of a cross-section of riders from different geographical locations and demographics, who volunteer to serve on the Council and represent the PATH community. We can be reached at PATHcommunity@panynj.gov.
The PATH Riders’ Council
