Starting on Monday, PATH train riders will find themselves 25 cents poorer as a fare increase geared toward paying for the revitalization of the 118-year-old system goes into effect.
A one-way ride on a PATH train, which connects North Jersey and Manhattan, will cost $3.25, up from $3. That will make the PATH more expensive than the New York City subway, which charges riders $3 per trip through the turnstiles.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the train system, had announced in November that by early 2029, it would increase the PATH fare to $4, from $3, in four equal increments. That represents a 33 percent increase. Monday’s 25-cent change is the first installment.
Carrie Hearns, 52, a Jersey City resident who commuted through the 33rd Street PATH station in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, said that she was still processing the news of the PATH fare increase.
“I have been commuting for three years, and this is really disgraceful,” Ms. Hearns said. “They should have taken people’s economic situation into consideration.”
As other PATH commuters rushed through the station, their reactions to the fare increase were mixed. Some expressed dismay, others appeared resigned to paying more. And one rider was unfazed, noting that he was retiring next year.
The fare increase is one of a number of changes the Port Authority announced last week that are set to take place this month, including expanded service. The Port Authority officially announced the changes on Thursday after having outlined them in November.
Some service improvements have already arrived, a result of the Port Authority’s $430 million program to modernize the PATH system, which included three miles of new track laid, replaced equipment and upgraded stations and PATH cars.
Starting on May 17, weekend riders will be able to travel directly from Hoboken to the World Trade Center without needing to switch trains for the first time in almost 25 years. The change marks the first day since 2001 that all four PATH lines — which travel from Jersey City and Hoboken into Midtown Manhattan — will operate seven days a week.
Kathryn Garcia, the Port Authority’s executive director, said that the forthcoming service change “not only saves time for everyone but also marks a larger turning point for PATH as we position the 118-year-old system for an even more reliable and robust future.”
Clarelle DeGraffe, the general manager of the PATH system, said in a statement that “having seven-day service on all our lines is a blueprint for more frequent, faster and more reliable service for our customers.”
Francis Mateo contributed reporting.
Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times.
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