Hoboken PATH station to NYC set to close Friday for 25 days
PATH Director Clarelle DeGraffe says some changes will directly impact the reliability of the service.
PATH riders in Hoboken have four days to figure out how they'll be getting across the Hudson River to work in New York City on Friday.
The 116-year-old Hoboken PATH station is closing for 25 days for a major rehabilitation.
PATH Director Clarelle DeGraffe says some changes will directly impact the reliability of service.
“We’re going to be replacing ancient tracks and switches which is a top priority," says DeGraffe.
Along, with 4,500 feet of new track, there’ll be new flooring, lighting, new paint, new train cars and four new staircases.
DeGraffe says she is aware that a 25-day closure could be painful for customers, but she believes it's better than the alternative.
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“If we didn’t do this full closure it would’ve been multiple weekends that would’ve taken us beyond a year where we would’ve had to close this station," she says.
The big question that remains is how will the 20,000 people who rely on Hoboken station every day get into the city.
One way is to get a shuttle bus. Charter Links will have 11 buses taking people between Hoboken and Jersey City PATH Stations. That's about a 15-minute ride one way.
“Ultimately, we’re confident and committed to making sure this is a success," says Joe Lucci, COO of Charter Links.
Another option is that $3 ferry rides from New York Waterway will be offered at Hoboken Terminal. Also, the 126 bus is available from New Jersey Transit.
News 12 spoke with riders boarding for New York City about the closure.
Charles McClain, who lives in Jersey City, has already figured out his alternate trek.
“I’ll just go straight to Journal Square Path and I’ll take that straight to WTC to work," he says.
Others like Justing Zayek are still working it out.
“I’ll probably go to Jersey City, If not just Uber, suck it up for a few days," says Zayek. “We’ll see. It has to happen right so can’t blame them for that.”
This work is part of a $430 million project to improve PATH stations.
The director says the Hoboken station will reopen Feb. 24, even if construction is ongoing.
The Port Authority says it chose February for the lengthy closure because ridership is down during that month.
