Statement by Ric Clark, Chair and Jessica Lappin, President of the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association
Today’s regrettable actions by the Port Authority to pause the PATH extension from Lower Manhattan to Newark will halt the tremendous progress that has already been made to create a vital mass transit link between a central business district and its closest international airport. Funding has been allocated for this project for nearly 10 years, due to its importance for both sides of the river, and considerable work has already been done. An embrace of the Northeast Corridor project is not a case of either/or. We applaud what the EWR Station Project will bring to the region but despite its many merits it does not deliver the same benefits the PATH extension provides.
Currently, New York City is virtually alone among the world’s large international business districts without a direct transit link to an international airport, a growing disadvantage for companies, cultural institutions, clients and customers. Creating a seamless mass transit link between Newark airport and Lower Manhattan is a cost effective opportunity to facilitate economic growth in New York City and in the communities of Newark and Northern New Jersey. It should continue to move forward.