Im surprised (Fulops) making comments without having inquired about the ideas and what’s behind them, Degnan said. Saying the PATH performs financially worse than other mass transit systems, the panel said it “could achieve operational and capital savings estimated to be at least $10 million per year from stopping service altogether between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on weeknights.” The panel also suggested eliminating overnight weekend service, and left open the possibility of operating buses as an alternative to the trains. The PATH — which connects New York City with Jersey City, Newark, Harrison and Hoboken — is one of the busiest mass transit systems in the country, averaging 73 million annual riders over the past five years. But the PATH is one of just four 24-hour mass transit systems in the United States, according to the report, which claimed the overnight closure would have a minor effect on riders because they could “slightly alter their travel plans to ride the last train before operations cease or the first train after they recommence.” The report also said the Port Authority should “pursue the possibility of partnering with a third party operator, public or private, that manages urban transit or commuter rail service in order to improve the PATH’s operational effectiveness and financial efficiency.” That operator, the report said, could be outside the realm of the Federal Railroad Administration,enabling a reduction in expenses resulting from these higher regulatory requirements currently imposed on the system. Jersey City is undergoing a development boom, particularly around PATH stations. The 24 hour access to New York City, Fulop said, is a key part of the city’s appeal to prospective residents. “It’s no secret that a lot of the growth that we’ve seen in areas of Hudson County have been attributed to light rail and PATH,” Fulop said. “And rather than investing in the system, which they should be doing, this proposal is really counterproductive to New Jersey as a whole.” It’s not just late night revelers who use the overnight service, Fulop said. “The fact of the matter is that is going to have a huge impact on working families. Many people who use the PATH system have jobs in New York, have night hours in New York, and the fact that you would curtail access to mass transportation is troubling,” he said. Fulop also said he has “real concerns” about potentially privatizing operations, saying the Port Authority “needs to get its house in order and do it properly.” Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer also vowed to fight the proposal. This irresponsible proposal is a classic example of being penny wise and dollar foolish, Zimmer said in a statement. Shutting down overnight PATH service will cost the State of New Jersey many times the supposed savings in lost economic activity, sales tax and business tax revenues. Cities like Hoboken, Jersey City and Newark are growing because residents and businesses want good access to transportation options like the PATH. It is incomprehensible that any New Jersey official would be willing to even consider this proposal that would only hurt the States economy.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:58:38 +0000
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