Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole and PATH Director Clarelle DeGraffe led a tour of the new eastbound Harrison PATH station this afternoon to announce the planned opening this Saturday of a facility designed to improve the commute for thousands of PATH customers each day.
During an event that included Harrison Mayor James A. Fife, local officials and members of the Harrison community, the station opening -- scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, June 15 – was hailed by Port Authority and local officials as an important step forward for PATH and its 76-year-old Harrison station.
“This is another key step forward for PATH, the Port Authority and the Town of Harrison,” Chairman O’Toole said. “It will mean significant travel improvements for the many thousands of our customers who use the Harrison station each day.”
“The completion of this new facility represents a significant milestone in modernizing PATH’s facilities to improve our customers’ experience,” said Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We are committed to continue to upgrade the travel experience for customers of PATH as well as the customer experience at all of our other facilities.”
“It is a proud day for all of the people of PATH,” Director DeGraffe said. “It will allow us to provide better service, convenience and additional travel options for customers who – like us – have been looking forward to this for years. We appreciate their patronage and their patience.”
The new station features an airy, light-filled glass-and-steel design and modernized amenities. It is glass-enclosed, with weather-protected station entrances, modern elevators, widened stairs and escalator access to the platform. In addition, it has an extended platform able to accommodate longer, 10-car trains on the Newark–WTC line in the future.
The opening comes at a time PATH continues to experience significant ridership growth. In 2018, PATH handled more than 81.7 million passengers, the second-highest annual ridership numbers on record. Harrison ridership has risen 30 percent over the past six years, from slightly more than 2 million in 2012 to more than 2.6 million in 2018.
PATH’s station development is a critical 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.
