(The Associated Press distributed the following article on September 2.)
NEWARK, N.J. — Rail ridership into New York was well below normal again Thursday as commuters avoided Manhattan during the Republican National Convention.
NJ Transit ridership on lines heading into New York through Newark was down by 60 percent Thursday from a normal weekday, and down by 50 percent on lines into Hoboken, spokesman Ken Hitchner said.
The PATH system also reported lighter than normal ridership.
On Wednesday morning, 68,121 riders used PATH, including some who transferred from NJ Transit. That’s down 2.2 percent from a normal August Wednesday volume of 69,685, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates PATH.
The morning before, 68,368 riders used PATH, down 3.2 percent from a normal August Tuesday level of 70,662, he said.
Over the holiday weekend, the Port Authority expected 3.5 million travelers to use its three major airports, tunnels, bridges and rail lines from Friday through Tuesday.
The number of travelers using John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports was projected to increase by 9 percent over last year’s level to 1.2 million.
NJ Transit also planned to add extra “getaway” trains Friday afternoon on its Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Raritan Valley lines.