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.Positive_Debate7048 t1_itzpo6a wrote
Reply to comment by hayflicklimit in 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. by elbowe51317
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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