$1.7B PATH Project Will Add Newark Airport Stop; $57M In Funds Authorized

NEWARK, NJ — The Port Authority of NY/NJ took another step forward with its ambitious, $1.7 billion plan to extend the PATH Newark-WTC line to Newark Airport on Thursday, authorizing $57 million in planning funds for the first phase of the project.

According to Port Authority officials, the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners has authorized $57 million in planning funds for the first phase of the PATH system extension to Newark Liberty International Airport, a projected $1.7 billion project that is a key component of the board’s 2017-2026 capital plan.

The project would include a new station in Newark’s South Ward Dayton Street neighborhood, a new rail yard facility and modification of existing platforms at Newark Penn Station to accommodate increased passenger flow, officials stated.

Currently, the PATH Newark-to-World Trade Center line’s western-most point is Newark Penn Station. The project will extend the line west through the Dayton Street neighborhood in Newark’s South Ward, ending at the Newark Liberty rail link station, officials said.

Once approved, construction of the extension is expected to begin in 2020 with full revenue service to start in 2026, officials said.

Currently, passengers who want to travel from areas served by PATH should take PATH to Newark Penn Station and connect with New Jersey Transit to get to Newark Airport, according to the Port Authority website.

Thursday’s financial authorization provides funding critical to move the project through preliminary design and the required environmental review process. It includes funds for environmental and transportation services, including preliminary engineering work as well as program and project management services, according to the Port Authority.

“This planning effort will provide analysis of key components – ridership data, cost updates, environmental and economic impacts – to help the agency continue to evaluate the project before moving forward with construction,” Port Authority Chairman John Degnan said.

Air travel industry advocacy group Global Gateway Alliance (GGA) praised the PATH extension plan.

“Transportation to New York area airports remains worst in the nation, but extending PATH train service is a critical project that will finally provide passengers with modern, affordable and efficient access from Lower Manhattan to Newark,” GGA stated Thursday.

“The PATH extension to Newark would also put the Port Authority’s capital priorities in the right place – [the New York metro area’s airports] – after years of diverting funds to non-core projects,” GGA stated. “However, it is essential that attention continue to be paid to budget and planning."

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