Proposal to extend PATH train to Newark airport heads to public meetings this week

A new proposal from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would extend the PATH system’s Newark to World Trade Center line from its current terminus at Newark Penn Station to the Newark Liberty Rail Link Station (Airport Station) at Newark Liberty International Airport. The addition would allow better transit access to and from the airport for Lower Manhattan and Bergen, Hudson, and Essex Counties in New Jersey–there is currently no pedestrian or bus access to the Airport Station. The Port Authority is holding two public meetings this week in Newark to discuss the project’s scope.

The current PATH system and proposed PATH extension. Image via the Port Authority

The PATH Extension program hopes to improve access for commuters and increase transit options to New Jersey’s main airport for travelers and airport employees. Included in the proposal are a new station near Airport Station that will be accessible to pedestrians and buses, construction of a new rail yard facility, and modification of existing platforms at Newark Penn Station to accommodate the resulting increased passenger flow. The design of the new PATH station will allow for the construction of a commuter parking garage through a potential public-private partnership.

An environmental review of the project will be conducted to determine the anticipated impact on a broad range of environmental issues. Public scoping meetings–part of the project’s 37-day scoping period from November 14 to December 20 of this year–will be held to inform and get input from the public. The first meeting was held on November 28 at the Weequahic Park Sports Authority Community Center; The second meeting is scheduled for for Thursday, November 30 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Hilton Newark Penn Station, Garden State Ballroom, 1048 Raymond Boulevard. The information provided will be the same on both dates.

RELATED:

• Optimism remains for Hudson River tunnel project despite threat of Trump cuts
• Map Revealed for de Blasio’s City-Wide Ferry System
• Port Authority approves $32.2B capital plan, will include new bus terminal and airport upgrades
• Amtrak Estimates Penn Station and Hudson River Tunnel Projects Will Cost $24B