NEW YORK — Governors Kathy Hochul of New York and Phil Murphy of New Jersey may be at odds on one transportation front — the launch of New York’s congestion pricing plan — but they’re working together on another: reducing fares on the Port Authority Trans-Hudson rail system for riders with disabilities.
Hochul, Murphy, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Thursday, Nov. 14, a proposal for a 50% fare reduction for such riders, which would match the current PATH discount for passengers 65 and older. If approved, riders could apply for the discount beginning in spring 2025, with its implementation in the summer.
“Easy access to convenient, reliable and affordable public transportation is a basic right that everyone should be able to enjoy,” Hochul said in a press release. “With this new fare reduction for people with disabilities proposed by New Jersey Gov. Murphy, the Port Authority, and myself, I’m confident we are making that right to transportation even easier to enjoy.”
Port Authority commissioners must still approve the proposal.
“Public transportation is crucial to our disability community — enabling countless individuals who may not be able to operate a vehicle to get to work, school, health care appointments, social services, and social gatherings,” Murphy said. “Today’s proposed PATH fare reduction would build on our work to ensure our public transportation infrastructure is inclusive and reliable for all commuters.
The governors’ joint announcement of the proposal came on the same day Hochul revived plans for congestion tolling for drivers entering lower Manhattan — a move Murphy opposes and is the subject of a lawsuit by the state of New Jersey [see “New York governor introduces revised Manhattan congestion pricing plan,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 14, 2024].
A fare reduction makes PATH more reliable? Does it keep the trains safe, clean, on-time, and other wise dependable?
And, if the goal is inclusivity (a word I hate), shouldn’t the fare reduction be geared toward those with reduced incomes?