The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ) on Nov. 13 proposed a $45 billion 2026–2035 Capital Plan, which would provide $2.6 billion to PATH for service increases, including the return of daily operations on all four rapid transit lines; all new uptown tracks; and new fare gates and technology, including CCTV and artificial intelligence, to identify patterns of fare evasion and develop strategies to deter evasion and enforce fare payment.
The Capital Plan (download presentation below) also proposes a fare increase of $0.25 beginning in summer 2026 for the 117-year-old rail system, with additional $0.25 increases each January from 2027 through 2029.
The fare hike, PANY/NJ said, will help to “sustain operations and fund major service increases,” since PATH’s operations are unique among major U.S. transit systems in that it receives no dedicated state or federal funds. Fares cover only about 25% of the actual cost of each ride and the Port Authority subsidizes the remaining 75%.
The 2026-2035 Capital Plan is slated to fund a series of PATH service increases, in addition to seven-day-a-week operations on all four lines for the first time in 25 years:
- Increased weekend service to 33 St starting in 2026, with additional increases in 2027.
- Direct weekend service on Journal Square-33 St and Hoboken-World Trade Center lines by mid-2026.
- Increased morning rush hour service on Hoboken-World Trade Center line in 2026.
- Doubling Friday late-night service to match Saturday late-night service in mid-2026.
- Additional trains during morning and evening rush hours and weekend daytimes on Newark-World Trade Center line in first half of 2027.
These changes, PANY/NJ said, were developed in direct response to rider feedback and community outreach efforts, and the results of a September 2025 survey of more than 1,000 PATH riders. Riders consistently identified weekday rush hour and weekend daytime service as their top priorities for improved frequency, it noted.
Beyond service increases, PANY/NJ said PATH is planning “additional initiatives to further streamline and modernize the passenger experience, including expansion of the popular TAPP tap-to-go fare payment system.”
According to PANY/NJ, the 2017-2025 Capital Plan provided PATH with $3 billion to:
- Replace an outdated signal network with a $1 billion state-of-the-art system, allowing more trains to run closer together safely and making PATH “one of the first railroads in the country to implement automatic and positive train control.”
- Invest in the $430 million PATH Forward program, which repaired aging stations (Hoboken, Grove St, Newport, and Exchange Pl.), tracks, and switches to “deliver a smoother, more reliable experience” for riders. Completion is scheduled for early 2026.
- Replace and expand the outdated Harrison PATH station.
- Purchase 72 new railcars from Kawasaki, expanding the fleet by 20%. Platforms were extended to run nine-car trainsets on the Newark-World Trade Center line during peak hours, boosting capacity by 12% and reducing crowding in the system.
- Complete critical efforts to repair damage from Superstorm Sandy, making stations and tunnels more resilient against future storms.
- Implement new customer-focused features, including a tap-to-pay fare payment system, updated countdown clocks, and the RidePATH app.
“The concluding [PANY/NJ] capital plan provided the roadmap and funding for an historic decade of achievement at the Port Authority,” said Kevin O’Toole, Chairman of PANY/NJ. “This record $45 billion proposed 2026-2035 Capital Plan builds on a 104-year legacy of connecting this region through bold, forward-looking, best-in-class infrastructure that will drive our economy. It’s a defining moment for our agency, proving that we deliver what we promise as we continue to raise the standard for what public infrastructure can achieve.”
O’Toole added: “For more than a century, PATH has evolved alongside the region it serves, and this service expansion marks the start of a new, exciting chapter in that story. With PATH Forward drawing to a close, the critical work that was part of that program has allowed us to propose restoring seven-day-a-week service across every line for the first time in a generation alongside other major service upgrades. This is a tangible sign of how far PATH has come and how ready it now is to meet the demands of the future.”
“This proposed 2026-2035 Capital Plan is about building on real, measurable progress and delivering the next chapter of transformation across our facilities,” PANY/NJ Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “Over a decade of achievement, we’ve turned once-doubted visions into tangible, award-winning results, from world-class airport terminals and new bridges to a revitalized PATH system, and we are not letting up.”
“Behind the scenes, PATH teams have been working tirelessly to rebuild and modernize this 117-year-old system from the ground up,” PATH Director/General Manager Clarelle DeGraffe said. “From replacing decades-old track and switch infrastructure to upgrading stations and railcars, every project has been aimed at creating a stronger foundation for better service. Thanks to that effort and the patience of our riders, we’re now in a position to propose meaningful service improvements across all lines and all days of the week.”
According to PANY/NJ, PATH has seen significant ridership growth in recent months, including its second-busiest month since the pandemic in September 2025 when it carried 5.5 million riders. This was 79% of pre-pandemic September 2019 ridership. Nearly 218,000 customers rode PATH during the average weekday in September, a new post-pandemic record for the system. Weekend ridership, PANY/NJ said, continues to match or exceed pre-pandemic figures with about 118,000 Saturday riders and 86,000 Sunday riders in September 2025.
PANY/NJ on Nov. 13 also released its 2026 budget proposal totaling $10.1 billion. Of that, $4.1 billion in capital funding is set to begin advancing work outlined in the 2026-2035 Capital Plan. Capital funding in the 2026 budget is 14% above capital funding in the 2025 budget. This includes the ongoing transformation of JFK, a major ramp-up in construction of the new Midtown Bus Terminal, a new entry point to the Newark Airport Rail Station opening by the end of 2026, continued work on the new AirTrain Newark, improved reliability of PATH’s railcar fleet and track infrastructure, and continued funding for essential work to keep the agency’s infrastructure in a state-of-good repair.
Operating funds in the 2026 budget proposal total $4.3 billion, funding the agency’s day-to-day operations that will include significant PATH service increases, according to PANY/NJ. The agency is projecting “robust” passenger and cargo volumes in 2026, including a record of more than 148 million passengers at its airports, 122.4 million vehicles at its bridge and tunnel crossings, 62 million riders on PATH across the year to reach a new high of 75% of pre-pandemic levels, 8.5 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) at the seaport, and 60 million visitors to the World Trade Center campus. The budget also includes $1.7 billion in debt service payments to meet the PANY/NJ’s debt obligations.
PANY/NJ said it is “committed to thoroughly soliciting public input” as it considers the 2026-2035 Capital Plan. Six public hearings have been scheduled at multiple locations across the region and at varying times of day.
