Port Authority Celebrates Initial Phase of New Harrison Path Station

First Step in Modernizing Facility and ImprovingtThe Customer Experience

On Oct 31, 2018

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey recently cut the ribbon on a new, modern PATH station in Harrison, completing the first phase of a comprehensive $256-million station redevelopment project that will greatly improve travel for the thousands of riders who use the facility daily.

The ceremony featured Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole, Executive Director Rick Cotton, PATH General Manager/Director Michael Marino and PATH Deputy Director Clarelle DeGraffe, as well as New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, Rep. Albio Sires (D-8th District), Harrison Mayor James Fife and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise.

Construction of the new station along the westbound side anchors a four-phase redevelopment program that also will bring a new facility to the eastbound side of the station by mid-2019. It will lead to the renovation of the two existing buildings while creating other amenities and services in the station and vicinity.

The new station features an airy, light-filled glass-and-steel design and modernized amenities. The new facility features glass-enclosed, weather-protected station entrances, as well as modern elevators, widened stairs and escalator access to the platform. It also has an extended platform to accommodate longer, 10-car trains on the Newark–WTC line in the future. Finally, the new station features one of the PATH’s first “countdown clocks” that will tell passengers when the next train will be arriving.

“This is a remarkable achievement for PATH, the Port Authority and the Town of Harrison, and will mean a significant travel improvement for the many thousands of our customers whose trips originate or end at the Harrison station each day,” Chairman O’Toole said.

“The opening of this new facility represents another step forward in our continuing efforts to replace legacy facilities with new modern structures that meet today’s standards and our customers’ expectations. Our goal is to improve the travel experience for PATH users and throughout all of the Port Authority facilities,” Executive Director Cotton said.

“Today’s event reminds us of the importance of the partnerships between the Port Authority, the State of New Jersey, and the communities we serve,” said Lieutenant Governor Oliver. “Exciting projects like the new Harrison PATH station are not only an economic spur for the entire region, they help us fulfill our commitment to greatly improving the transit experience for all of our people.”

“It’s a proud day for the people of PATH and the Port Authority,” Director Marino said. “And one that we expect will mean better service, convenience and additional travel opportunities for our riders, who have been looking forward to this day for years. We genuinely appreciate their business.”

The ceremony also included the dedication of a plaque just outside the building that commemorates the late Harrison Mayor Raymond McDonough, who envisioned the type of growth that has taken root in the town and who was a strong supporter of the PATH station redevelopment program from the beginning.

The opening comes at a moment when PATH is experiencing record-setting ridership numbers each year. The railroad expects overall ridership numbers, when calculated for 2018, to exceed 83 million for the first time. In Harrison, ridership has grown more than 25 percent over the past five years, from slightly more than 2 million in 2012 to nearly 2.6 million in 2017.

PATH’s station development is an important part of the broader commercial and real estate development occurring across Harrison, from new residential buildings to the Red Bull Arena soccer stadium and enhanced public spaces.

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