As Pope Francis makes his way to New York City and Philadelphia over the weekend, the holy father will test the infrastructure of a transit system that experiences regular delays even without the added congestion.
An estimated 80,000 people will be in Central Park Friday evening as the Pope rides through on his way to Madison Square Garden, which sits directly above New York Penn Station. There, another 20,000 people will join him for mass Friday evening. Passengers take about 3,729 New Jersey Transit trips from Penn Station on average every weekday, according to a spokesperson for New Jersey Transit.
New Jersey Transit says it will be expanding bus and rail service to accommodate passengers to New York Thursday and Friday. This will include additional buses and additional seats on trains. However, there were no specific numbers available. NJ Transit is warning passengers to expect delays in addition to the now normal delays passengers have experienced due to electrical failures in the tunnels under the Hudson River.
For commuters hoping to see the Pontiff in Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday, NJ Transit is providing special nonstop service on the Atlantic City Rail Line to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. However, all tickets for the nonstop service must be purchased before September 26. Passengers will not be able to purchase them on the day of the trip. Tickets are available on NJ Transit’s website.
One way to avoid rail delays on to New York City is to take NJ Transit to the Hoboken Terminal in Hoboken, NJ and take the PATH train under the Hudson to New York City. The PATH’s trip under the Hudson River is much less prone to delays than NJ Transit, and it offers a one-seat trip all the way to Herald Square, which is near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.
If passengers want to avoid the impending traffic near Penn Station they can transfer to the New York City Subway at one of the PATH’s lower-Manhattan stops. Passengers coming into the city to view the Pope as he rides through Central Park could use the PATH to avoid the traffic at 33rd Street altogether.
“I plan to go to my office in New Jersey instead,” said Laura Denhollander. “I audit so instead of going to the client, it makes just more sense to go to the office.”
Denhollander says the potential for transit disruptions are too likely to justify a trip into the city.
NJ Transit silently ended its final hour of service from Penn Station last Monday due to budget constraints and low ridership. This leaves one fewer trip on most lines than in the previous week, and New Jersey Transit has not announced any additional trains leaving Penn Station during the pope’s visit.
If you plan to take NJ Transit to New York City or Philadelphia this weekend, make sure you have the required tickets and check the updated official schedules. Some apps are still out of date and list the last set of train times from Penn Station, which are no longer in operation.