PATH Trains in Jersey City

The PATH Trains, formerly known as the Hudson Tubes, connect Jersey City and Hoboken with Midtown Manhattan, Lower Manhattan, and the City of Newark. East of Journal Square, the PATH system is a strictly subterranean network of tunnels. The trains are similar to New York’s subway drawing power from a third rail. Besides a rich history, the PATH system, operated by the Port Authority, is a convenient way to cross the Hudson River.

There are six terminuses in the system though only five usually operate at any given time. 33rd Street / Herald Square in mid-town, Hoboken, World Trade Center, Journal Square and Newark are all open during normal operating hours. In some cases, Exchange Place, which was upgraded to a terminus following the destruction of the World Trade Center, operates as a terminus when trains do not run to World Trade Center.

Tickets and Fares

The PATH uses a pay-per-ride system that is compatible with the MTA’s per-per-ride metro cards. The Port Authority turnstiles require cards to be inserted and removed before the turnstile will allow passengers to enter the system. The Port Authority also sells a Smart Card system; the card costs users $5, but is reusable. Single ride fares are $1.75 while the Smart Card offers a slight discount.

Routes and Service

The PATH connects Jersey City with Manhattan and Newark. During weekdays there are four main routes on two lines. Trains departing from the World Trade center terminate in Newark via Journal Square or in Hoboken via Pavonia-Newport. Trains departing from 33rd Street terminate in Hoboken or in Journal Square.

During the late night service, and weekend service while the World Trade Center is under construction, two routes operate. 33rd Street trains terminate in Journal Square via Hoboken and World Trade Center trains only terminate in Newark.

The Port Authority PATH System Map does a poor job of displaying connection information; the New York's Sixth Transit Overlay Map shows possible connections to subways, light rail, and heavy rail systems.

Schedules

The PATH system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During rush hour, trains run every four to six minutes, and off peak hours, every eight to twelve minutes up to every twenty minutes. Late night service begins at 11 p.m. when trains begin running every thirty minutes until 5 a.m. Or visit the Official Schedule, but keep in mind the PATH keeps its own time.

Jersey City Off Street Parking

For non-residents, off street parking during the week is a must when visiting Jersey City, but also residents who either do not have a permit or simply want the added protection a parking lot or garage offers. There are a number of options from daily parking, monthly rates, limited and twenty-four hour access lots.

Rates

Daily parking in the downtown usually starts around ten dollars and can exceed twenty. Monthly passes or contracts will begin around two hundred dollars. Prices lower than this are a good deal. Many lots include early bird specials.

Parking Garages

Several parking companies provide access to pay lots; the Port Authority has created a parking guide (PDF) to help locate parking facilities around PATH stations.

Central Parking
Edison Park Fast

In addition, the Newport Mall operates pay per hour parking garages.

Sanitation in Jersey City

Residential sanitation is provided by the Jersey city Incinerator Authority. The JCIA collects garbage and recycling material, sweeps streets, plows snow, and demolishes small buildings.

Trash Collection

Jersey City collects trash twice a week. Trash collection begins at 10 p.m., and residents are advised to not place trash on the street before 7 p.m. For trash collection on your street, visit JCIA Online

Recycling Program

Recyclable material is collected once a week. Paper products such as newspapers, paper bags, phone books and cardboard should be tied together or placed in a recycling container. Glass, metal, and recyclable plastics including milk cartons can be placed together. For more on specific materials, visit this page at JCIA Online.

Jersey City Attractions

Jersey City Museum

The Jersey City Museum is a collection of American visual art from contemporary artists, with emphasis on local and regional artists. The museum is located three blocks west of Van Vorst Park. For more information visit the Jersey City Museum Website.

Liberty Science Center

Opening in July 2007 after extensive construction, the Liberty Science Center is a hands on museum located just west of Liberty State park. It is home to an IMAX movie theater as extensive exhibits dealing with technology, ecology, and science.

Hudson River Walk

The walkway is an impressive public park that presently extends from Newport around to Liberty Harbor along the Jersey City waterfront. The walkway also continues along Liberty State Park. The pathway provides stunning views of Manhattan. Eventually, the park will continue north into Hoboken where another extension of the pathway is already in place. In January of 2008, NJ Transit broke ground on a critical bridge linking the walkway in Newport with the walkway in Hoboken.

Liberty State Park

Liberty state Park sits just south of Downtown Jersey City, divided by the Morris Canal and Liberty Harbor. The park is essentially large open fields and a number of walkways, including part of the Hudson River Walk. The park features a historic rail terminal and rail yards. There is free, two hour parking on the eastern tip of the park. Do not park here if you intend to visit the statue of liberty. Statue of liberty parking is pay per hour, located across the street from the free lot.

The park provides one of the best views of the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks set off above the Statue of Liberty. In addition, private parties often rent out Ellis Island, and on many summer evenings, fireworks can be seen around 9 p.m.

Liberty State Park is accessible by light rail or exit 14C from the New Jersey Turnpike.

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are part of the federal park system. Despite the fact that a bridge connects Ellis Island to mainland New Jersey, visitors must board ferries in Liberty State Park or in Battery Park in New York. The park is free, but the ferry will cost you $12

Visitors to both islands are subject to an intensive search which can delay entry to the parks by up to an hour. Terrorism an all that. In either case, when planning a trip to either monument plan on long waits. Visitors wishing to enter the Statue of Liberty Base must under go a second screening before entering, despite the extensive search prior to boarding the ferry. This can take more than an hour.

The top of the statue of liberty is currently closed. Terrorism, and all that. However, visitors can still enter the base of the monument with a time reservation. These tickets are grant visitors access for a specific time on a specific day. Despite limited availability and reservation system, the national park system is unable to handle the number of people trying to enter the base, resulting in long delays. For more on tickets, visit Statue of Liberty Reservation site provided by Statue Cruises.

Museum of Contemporary Russian Art

This downtown museum is dedicated to promoting contemporary Russian Art; hours are limited, so check in advance on Museum website.

Loews Theater

The historic, renovated Loews theater is dedicated to bringing performing arts to Jersey City; visit the website for updated schedule information.

Ferry Services

Ferry service is a mass transit alternative to the PATH system for crossing the Hudson River. For instance, during the blackout of 2003, ferries proved a critical link between Manhattan and Hudson County. Ferry services operate weekdays during commuting hours and connect the Jersey City and Hoboken waterfront to points in Manhattan.

Ferries arrive in New York at 38th Street, Battery Park, and Wall Street. In addition, a ferry from Liberty State Park provides access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey does not provide ferry Service but does operate some piers and provides an service map.

New York Waterway

New York Waterway is the largest service provider with terminals up and down the Hudson River.

Water Taxi

NY Water Taxi provides ferry service from Liberty Marina to lower Manhattan.

Statue Cruises

Ferry service to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are provided exclusively by Statue Cruises

Downtown Jersey City Neighborhoods

Historic Neighborhoods

Parts of downtown Jersey City are part of historic preservation districts. These districts were created by municipal ordinance in an effort to prevent the demolition or alteration of historic structures. The historic Preservation Districts refer to specific lots which fall under the ordinances domain, and generally the actual neighborhoods are considered to be larger than the preservation districts. The parking zones also correspond roughly with neighborhoods.

The historic neighborhoods include: Hamilton Park, Harsimus Cove, Van Vorst Park, the Powerhouse District, and Paulus Hook. The neighborhoods also have active community groups. With the exception of the Powerhouse District, a neighborhood consisting of historic warehouses and industrial buildings, the historic districts consist of three and four story brownstones from the 19th century.

Critics of the preservation neighborhoods claim that the oversight board is overly intrusive, making a simple procedure such as replacing a window into a long process slowed by red tape. However, the historic districts have indeed preserved the character of many of the older neighborhoods in Jersey City.

Newport

During the last century, most of the downtown Waterfront was factories, warehouses, and rail yards. Beginning in the mid 1980's however, an effort to revitalize the city was begun. The revitalization efforts required cleaning up toxic waste and removing the remnants of the railroads and old industry.

The waterfront can be broken into two main components: Newport in the north, and Exchange Place / Colgate Center in the south. Newport is a planned, mixed use community created by the LeFrak family. Newport residences are mostly mostly rental units, though there are currently two condominium towers. There are also multiple high rise office towers, and each building has ground floor retail. One of the earliest components of Newport was a suburban style mall.

Newport Center, the waterfront towers controlled by the LeFraks, is similar to but not identical to the Newport Redevelopment Zone. LeFrak built several low rise residential buildings adjacent to Hamilton Park. While they are part of the Redevelopment Zone, and owned by the LeFraks, these buildings are generally considered part of the Hamilton Park neighborhood. LeFrak's master plan illustrates the long term design of Newport. Below, several Newport residential towers.

Exchange Place and Colgate Center

The waterfront south of Newport largely consists of office towers. The Harborside Financial Center plan includes a total of 10 towers, half of which have been built and occupied mostly by tenants in financial services. The Colgate Redevelopment zone is a cluster of street blocks south of Exchange Place that includes the Goldman Sachs Tower.

In recent years, the rise in residential condominium prices and reduced demand for office space lead to the construction of several high rise residential towers in place of offices, including 77 Hudson Street.

Liberty Harbor North

Liberty Harbor North is a planned, mixed use community between the Van Vorst Park historic district and the Morris Canal. The northern section of the development attempts to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding brownstone neighborhood with low rise homes and street level retail. As the development continues south, mid-rise and high-rise towers will be constructed, creating an evenly rising skyline away from the existing low-rise neighborhoods.

Jersey City Street Parking

Parking on the streets of Jersey City can be a confusing adventure for residents and visitors alike. There are a multitude of signs, restrictions and prohibitions. This guide covers Zone Parking, Street Cleaning, Snow Emergency Routes, and Police Emergencies.

2 Hour Parking Except With Zone Permit

Throughout the residential neighborhoods of Jersey City, Zone Parking has been instituted to prevent drivers from outside the community from parking on the streets and commuting into Manhattan providing parking availability to local residents. The downtown area of Jersey City is divided into a number of smaller zones. Residents within the zone can purchase a resident decal from the Jersey City Parking Authority. All other vehicles without a zone decal are subject to ticketing, booting and towing. Time limits posted on the signs indicate the duration a vehicle may be parked on the street before the parking authority will issue a ticket.

The 2 and in some cases 4 hour limits are imposed on all vehicles without zone permits. This limit includes vehicles owned by local residents if the vehicle does not have a zone permit. The Jersey City parking authority patrols the streets daily in small three wheeled vehicles. Time limits are for zones—not parking spaces. If a driver moves his or her car within the zone, the vehicle is still subject to the time limit.

Residents can apply for and purchase zone decals from the Jersey City Parking Authority located at 394 Central Avenue in the Heights district of Jersey City. Resident permits cost $10 per year and will only be issued to residents without outstanding parking tickets. The parking authority does not accept credit cards. For residents who have previously bounced a check written to the Parking Authority, a bank check is required.

In addition, residents must provide a driver’s license, vehicle registration, and insurance card with their Jersey City address. Part-time residents, students, or other persons who for some reason do not have a qualifying Jersey City address on their driver’s license and matching vehicle registration will be denied a permit. In addition, leased vehicles registered to a company outside of Jersey City are also not eligible. Drivers of leased vehicles should call the parking authority directly regarding the necessary steps to ensure they receive a permit on the first round 201.653.6969.

New residents may provide a PSEG bill and signed lease for proof of residency, though in many cases will receive only a temporary parking permit. The Parking Authority is one of the most temperamental government agencies of the city.

Be Prepared Before You Go
You need to have / provide:

Driver’s License
Vehicle Registration
Insurance Card
$10 Check

View the Parking Zone Map

No Parking Between the hours of...

Most streets in Jersey City have a two hour block of time twice a week, usually between Monday and Friday that is used for street cleaning. The Jersey City Incinerator Authority is in charge of cleaning the streets with a street sweeping machine. However, the JCUIA works in conjunction with the Parking Authority. The Parking Authority scooters travel ahead of the street sweeping machine writing tickets.

In some cases, the Parking Authority scooter will honk a distinctive horn alerting residents that they are on their way down a street for cleaning. However, the horn is certainly not a guarantee, and the best way to avoid a ticket is simply to move a car off the side of the street before the specified block of time.

Residents with permits will get tickets. Zone permits have nothing to do with street cleaning and zone permits do not exempt vehicles.

On most federal holidays or city holidays, the incinerator authority is usually not in operation. However, to ensure that street cleaning is suspended, drivers should call the authority directly on any given day 201.432.1150.

Emergency Snow Route

Some streets throughout the city are marked with red and white signs declaring the street a snow emergency route. These streets are given priority for snow removal—a good tip to know if you absolutely need to drive somewhere in a heavy snowstorm.

Snow emergencies are declared by the city. Usually, after a snow emergency is declared, the police or fire department will announce over loudspeakers that cars on particular streets need to be removed by a certain time. Vehicles that are not moved will be towed. However, it should be assumed that anytime the road is covered with enough snow for a plow, vehicles parked along emergency snow routes should be removed.

In addition, after heavy snowstorms, some streets may have parking restrictions for further snow removal. This is to ensure that main arteries do not become narrow after plows have pushed snow against parked cars.

Several inches of snow are normally required for snow removal crews to use snowplows. Light snow that is easily removed with salt will not usually result in a snow emergency.

Police Emergency

From time to time, streets will have posted specialty "No Parking" signs specifying a date and time when parking is prohibited. There are a number of uses when police emergency signs are posted including parades, construction or utility work, or special permits issued by the city. These restrictions often start before scheduled street cleaning, often as early as six or seven in the morning. Read these signs carefully as they are enforced most often with straight up towing.

Parade season begins mid-spring and continues through much of the summer. There are often parades at least one day per weekend in the spring and summer, though they take different routes and do not always require parking to be prohibited. These signs are also used from time to time for snow removal, which obviously is a winter only event. During the 2006 blizzard, an overnight parking prohibition was used to clear snow from certain streets.

In most cases, the "No Parking" signs will be placed every ten to twenty feet twenty-four to thirty-six hours before a scheduled street closing. However, there certainly have been cases when the city has forgotten to issue the "No Parking" permits ahead of time, and hours or even minutes before an event, post "No Parking" signs.

Disclaimer: Drivers should read all signs before parking. We are not responsible for any parking ticket you receive.

Hudson Bergen Light Rail

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line links communities throughout Hudson County. From the south, connects Bayonne with PATH services at Exchange Place, continues north through Hoboken, terminating in North Bergen. Future expansion of the light rail is uncertain.

The light rail connects with PATH services at Exchange Place, Pavonia-Newport, and Hoboken, and connects with ferries at Essex Street, Hoboken, Lincoln Harbor, and Port Imperial. The PATH and ferry systems operate independently from the light rail and separate fares are required.

Tickets and Fares

The light rail uses a time stamp system where one time fare tickets are stamped with a date and time by a time validator. Tickets are then valid for 90 minutes and inspectors may check for tickets at random intervals, or sometimes not at all. Failure to show a valid ticket can result in a $100 fine.

Monthly passes are also available as well as monthly parking, and joint NY Waterway passes. Parking is only avalaible at certain stations

Tickets for the light rail system may be purchased from automated vending machines available at most platforms. Tickets must be validated before boarding the trams or certain platforms. To validate a ticket, insert the ticket print side up with the New Jersey Transit logo facing left into a validator machine. Once stamped, the ticket is valid for 90 minutes.

Routes

There are three routes provided; Tonnelle Avenue to Hoboken, Tonnelle Avenue to Westside Avenue (Jersey City), and Hoboken to Bayonne.

Visit the Official NJTransit Map (PDF) for a precise look at where the trains go, or visit New York's Sixth's Transit Overlay Map for a comprehensive look at how the light rail connects with other forms of rail transportation.

Schedules

During the week, the Light rail runs every ten minutes during rush hour and every fifteen minutes during off-peak hours. Between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., service is every 20 minutes. Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., ther is no service. Weekend and Holiday service is every fifteen to twenty minutes.