Officials recently unveiled a major public investment in a neighborhood that has completely transformed over the last decade as Harrison’s PATH station officially has a brand new amenity.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey marked the completion this week of a new $47.2 million station house at Harrison, the latest step towards the Port Authority’s multi-facility modernization of the transit hub. The original station, built in 1936, has been getting major upgrades to make it both modern and accessible.
The newly built 3,200-square-foot station house features an elevator, a public plaza with seating, 82 bicycle parking spots along a 17,800-square-foot concourse, and a dedicated turnstile.
The new digs already accept TAPP, PATH’s new contactless tap-and-go fare payment that is being rolled out across the system’s stations. The station house replacement project was funded partly by a $40.7 million Federal Transit Administration grant.
“Today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in the comprehensive modernization of our regional transportation system,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “Combining state-of-the-art technology with sustainable and resilient practices will ensure New Jersey commuters have a first-rate mode of transportation to get where they need to go while benefiting our regional economy as a whole.”
The new facility was designed with enhanced flood protection from the nearby Passaic River, with the station house’s first level located above the flood plain. Water runoff will be collected and stored in water retention tanks for landscape irrigation.
“Our $256 million investment in the PATH Harrison station complex has turned an outmoded nearly-century old facility into an ultra-modern 21st century transit hub accessible to everyone,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.
“This expansion of the Harrison station that we are opening today advances our commitment to providing a modern 21st century customer experience at Port Authority facilities.”
The new facility is located at the southwest corner of the station and provides safe pedestrian access without the need to cross Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard. It complements a station house in the northeast section of the complex completed in 2018, and a second station house that opened in 2019 in the complex’s southeast section.
The Port Authority’s $256 million investment has also included a new substation that now powers the entire Harrison station complex. The area around the PATH station has seen tremendous growth in recent years, transforming a formerly industrial area into a mixed-use hub with Red Bull Stadium, hotels, and a plethora of multi-family developments.
