Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Is The PATH A Suitable Substitute For The Subway?
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 3, 2010
Modified Nov 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 3, 2010
Modified Nov 3, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
With the cost of a monthly MetroCard soon becoming an approximate gajillion dollars, the New York Times sheds some light on alternative forms of transportation. They're calling the PATH train the "last truly underground bargain of New York," with a single ride costing just $1.75 and a 30-day past costing $54. And the conductors actually get mad at those kids selling candy! One West Village resident said, “I like to think of it as a little neighborhood secret," and says he has abandoned the 1 train altogether. Now if everybody just moved to the west side of Manhattan between Christopher Street and 33rd Street, we'd all enjoy that savings!
According to NYC Transit data, the PATH's ridership rose at twice the rate of the subway in the past year. But though the rides may be cheaper and the trains may come faster, MTA spokesman Charles Seaton said, “I don’t believe it’s ever been a concern." Why? Oh, just a little thing called the rest of the city. And though it's frustrating to think that the same city is involved in the cheap, pristine PATH and the expensive, ever-frustrating subway, the PATH's shorter route does make it easier and cheaper to maintain. The Times notes, "The system handles about 245,000 trips on an average weekday, fewer than half of the trips taken on the No. 6 subway line alone." So if we stop riding the subway so much, it will get better? Thanks for making sense, MTA.
Tagged
MTA
nyc transit
path
path train
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC early voting dips compared to 2025, but spikes in majority-Black districts
Mayor Mamdani's robust support for Gov. Hochul couldn’t quite match the level of early voting in 2025.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Joe Hong
Published Nov 2, 2026 at 6:06 p.m. ET
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
Police say the man threatened people inside a deli before exchanging gunfire with officers. He is expected to survive.
By
Giulia Heyward
Washington Square Park snowball thrower gets community service for pelting NYPD
By
Walter Wuthmann
Stabbing of Brooklyn runner believed to be ‘random attack,’ NYPD says
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD wants info from schools after 15-year-old Bronx boy shot and killed
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .