PATH Readies Welcome for Diverted Riders

With the prospect of NJ TRANSIT rail riders joining the tens of thousands of daily PATH customers due to a possible NJ TRANSIT work stoppage, PATH is preparing for any temporary surges in ridership with a time-tested response: deployment of the railroad’s own special forces.

PATH will be ready to assemble its customer ambassadors to assist riders at Newark-Penn Station, Harrison, Hoboken, 33 St and World Trade Center stations in the event of a NJ TRANSIT labor action that could begin as soon as May 16. The ambassadors are a staple of PATH’s response to customer service disruptions triggered either by PATH construction projects – including the recent Hoboken station closure – or those affecting regional transit services such as NJ TRANSIT or Amtrak.

“When our customers are facing a challenge in their daily commute, we step up,” said PATH Director/General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe.

The NJ TRANSIT labor action could divert thousands of NJ TRANSIT rail customers to PATH in lieu of NJ TRANSIT rail service at Newark-Penn Station, Hoboken PATH terminal or the Harrison PATH station. NJ TRANSIT’s planned mitigation for its rail customers during the work stoppage also includes chartered buses at certain New Jersey locations to bring their rail customers to the Port Authority’s Midtown Bus Terminal, Newark-Penn Station or the Harrison PATH station.

PATH customer ambassadors may need to assist with wayfinding or to explain how PATH works to NJ TRANSIT customers unfamiliar with the system or recent changes at PATH, such as PATH fare payments that can now be paid via TAPP, the new tap-to-pay fare payment system through a smartphone wallet or a contactless credit/debit card, in addition to the existing SmartLink and MetroCard payment systems at all PATH stations.

The group of ambassadors draws from PATH management and supervisory staff to supplement volunteers from the railroad’s customer experience team and other divisions. On numerous occasions over the past decade, they have staffed key station locations during peak travel periods to assist with information, provide directions, or simply calm the nerves of anxious riders.

When and how ambassadors are deployed is the collective decision of PATH Assistant Director Rebecca Riehl; Jessica Mills, a PATH program director in customer experience; and Vincent Sanchez, a PATH station supervisor.

“The same rule applies in this situation as it has in the past,” Mills said. “This is an ‘all hands on deck’ effort from staff across PATH to be present in our stations to assist any displaced riders and get them where they need to go.”

The ambassadors program was first convened in 2016 when PATH conducted extensive repairs in its two uptown tunnels to fix damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. During that 2016 tunnel repair, trains that normally carried riders uptown to the 33 St PATH terminal were diverted to World Trade Center (WTC), where passengers had to transfer for uptown rides. To assist customers with the transfer, PATH deployed ambassadors to facilitate uptown bus transfers for its customers to and from the WTC.

The ambassadors were also deployed to the Hoboken PATH station during summer 2017, when railroad service for NJ TRANSIT, Amtrak and MTA Long Island Rail Road was disrupted by major Amtrak repairs in and out of New York’s Penn Station. PATH, which does not operate out of New York’s Penn Station, prepared for temporary surges in ridership as many rail customers diverted to PATH for service to and from Midtown Manhattan across the Hudson River during the New York-Penn Station repairs.

Their biggest test came during this February’s unprecedented 25-day closure of the Hoboken PATH station for major track and station repairs. Teams of ambassadors guided customers during the peak morning and evening rush hours over the first weeks of the project. They directed customers to alternate service — ferries, buses, and light rail, as well as a free PATH shuttle bus during the outage.

In addition to assisting diverted NJ TRANSIT rail customers who are new to taking PATH, ambassadors will also be called into action when the New York-New Jersey region hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup games, if not sooner.

Riehl, who directs PATH’s passenger services and customer experience operations, described the ambassadors as essential to the railroad’s DNA.

“It’s a unique part of the PATH culture that our management staff is always ready and willing to go into the field to help our customers,” Riehl said.

More information on the Port Authority’s planned service changes at affected facilities in light of the potential NJ TRANSIT labor action is available here.