The Hoboken PATH station will be closed through Labor Day for "urgent" repairs, requiring travelers between New Jersey and New York to use alternative routes this holiday weekend. Gothamist reports that the station, which is over a century old, began its temporary suspension of service around midnight yesterday and is not scheduled to reopen until 5 a.m. next Tuesday. The repairs are needed to address interlocking equipment that, despite being installed in February, has experienced repeated failures over the summer.
Commuters will still have alternative transportation options. According to a CBS News report, the Port Authority is providing free shuttle buses to connect riders to the Newport and Exchange Place stations in Jersey City. Additionally, $3 discounted tickets for New York Waterway ferries will be available at several Hoboken terminals, offering service to Manhattan at Brookfield Place/Battery Park City and Midtown/West 39th Street.
In addition, NJ Transit has agreed to cross-honor PATH riders between Hoboken, Secaucus, New York Penn, and Newark Penn stations, simply by showing their PATH fare cards. This cross-honoring deal extends to customers on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail between Hoboken, Newport, and Exchange Place. To help further reduce the impact on passengers during the long weekend, Port Authority has increased PATH service at the 9th Street and 23rd Street stations, which will continue to operate throughout the closure period.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla highlighted the choice of Labor Day weekend for repairs as strategic, aiming to reduce the burden on passengers when ridership is typically lower. As "scheduling repairs during Labor Day weekend when ridership is relatively low will help reduce the impact on passengers," Bhalla told CBS News. Travelers who need to move between Hoboken and the Midtown Bus Terminal can use NJ Transit's No. 126 bus to bridge the gap in service. For more specific details on alternative transit options and updated service information, passengers can visit the Port Authority's official website at panynj.gov.
