33rd st path trains are delayed, impossible to get on WTC because it’s so packed. Take the ferry or walk to Newport if you can.hayflicklimit t1_itzkchr wrote
We need to organize against this.
They maintain like 15 miles of track. Why is it so difficult to keep things running smoothly? The PATH is ever the pauper with its hat out asking for more money. It’s time to demand return on that.
Post these photos to Twitter and Instagram tag elected officials.
Directly message our congressional reps to demand something changes.
Albio Sires, Cory Booker, Bob Menendez, Donald Payne, Bill Pascrell. Light em up until they at least feint action.
https://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elected-officials/#ElectedOfficials
BlueBeagle8 t1_itzm2re wrote
I'm never against complaining to our Reps, but Congress has nothing to do with managing the Port Authority. That's all Murphy, Hochul, and their appointees.
hayflicklimit t1_itznnsr wrote
And they’re doing fuckall.
The senators and reps are way more likely to bump into Murphy and Hochul than we are as individuals. If we make it clear that action on this may determine whether or not they get to keep their jobs, they’ll take action.
BlueBeagle8 t1_itzoinm wrote
Call me cynical, but I don't think that tweeting at Albio Sires to make him talk about the PATH if he ever bumps into Murphy is a very effective theory of change.
Especially with control of Congress likely about to flip to Republicans, the amount of leverage that the feds have over the governors is negligible (even if you assume that you could convince them to use it on improving municipal transportation.)
I would strongly recommend directing our complaints to people who might actually be able to do something about them.
hayflicklimit t1_itzsjn9 wrote
Ok. You’re cynical.
vocabularylessons t1_iu056hq wrote
They’re being realistic. If you want to affect change then use your valuable time lobbying the right people. Calling a U.S. Senator won’t do anything, they have nothing to do with PATH or Port Authority. The people who have influence are the state governors and their board appointees. Port Authority is entirely self funding so you can’t take the public funding angle either.
moobycow t1_itzx0k7 wrote
The essential problem we face is that if we kick out the elected because of this, we get Republicans and they are sure as fuck not going to make mass transit better.
DPedia t1_iu0haew wrote
Especially if Jersey City—and Journal Square specifically—want to keep building skyscrapers and filling them with new residents. This will keep getting worse far faster than any of the minuscule "enhancements."
Remember when "Positive Train Control" or whatever it was took like 5 years to implement? Having been a PATH commuter for like 15 years now (before Sandy, after Sandy, before COVID, after COVID), I can't say it's been noticeably better.
Sonatarhia t1_iu1d7we wrote
Having been a PATH commuter for 20+ years, I can positively, and unequivocally, say that service has deteriorated over the last 20 years.
NO DOUBT.
Artichoke_25 t1_itzmcam wrote
15 miles of track!! Seriously. “Keeping the region moving” indeed.
Positive_Debate7048 t1_itzpo6a wrote
It’s in part because the PATH has to operate per the extremely stringent FRA freight rail standards instead of the more lenient FTA rapid transit standards due to sharing ROW with freight near Newark. I read somewhere that the PATH system costs more to maintain than the entire NYC subway.
This is also the reason why the PATH will never be expanded because any new tunnels will need to be built to current freight railroad standards.
objectimpermanence t1_iu0dw4u wrote
PATH’s budget is smaller than the NYC subway’s.
But their operating costs per passenger mile are higher than the NYC subway, as well as most other subway systems in the world.
> This is also the reason why the PATH will never be expanded because any new tunnels will need to be built to current freight railroad standards.
I don’t think that’s the main reason. My understanding is that the burden of PATH being regulated as a federal railroad mainly comes in the form of operational inefficiencies. Though the Feds did require PATH to upgrade its signal system sooner than they would have otherwise.
Due to corruption and a lack of accountability, building tunnels in the NYC metro area is extremely expensive no matter what kind of tunnel it is. It’s significantly more expensive than it is even in cities like London and Paris.
Our capacity to build major new infrastructure projects will be limited until we somehow get a handle on these absolutely insane construction costs.
DPedia t1_iu0hlul wrote
And let's not forget when PATH was blasted for a shitload of workers sleeping on their overtime shifts. That costs some money too.
Positive_Debate7048 t1_iu0n6fo wrote
I think the other main reason is that NY will never sign on to fund a PATH expansion in NJ.
Also you are kind of brushing over the PTC requirement. PTC because of the way it works means that PATH trains have to operate at slower speeds compared to rapid transit systems. I’m not going to go too much into it, but it’s been criticized as being safety overkill and makes running trains smoothly way more difficult for minimal safety increases compared to forms of ATC or CBTC
vocabularylessons t1_iu18hk0 wrote
Neither NJ or NY contributes funding to PATH. Port Authority self finances its operations, including PATH.
Positive_Debate7048 t1_iu1ekv8 wrote
Yes but you still need approval from both states for capital projects iirc
vocabularylessons t1_iu1m5z5 wrote
From the Board of Commissioners, not directly the states themselves
Positive_Debate7048 t1_iu22ayl wrote
They pretty much are there to represent the interests of either state and take orders from their governors
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