New $47.2 Million Accessible Station House at Path Harrison Station

An aerial view of the Harrison station complex as of February 2024. Credit: PANYNJ

New Modern Station House Marks Completion of Major Phase in Harrison’s Growth as a Key Regional Transit Hub

Newly Built Structure Features Accessibility, Resiliency Against Flooding, Enhanced Safety Measures and New Fare Payment Reader

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today marked the completion of a new $47.2 million station house at the Harrison stop on the PATH commuter rail in the latest step toward the Port Authority’s multi-facility modernization of the regional transit hub.

The newly built 3,200-square-foot station house will open to the public at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21. It features new amenities such as an elevator; a public plaza with seating; 82 bicycle parking spots along a 17,800-square-foot concourse; and a dedicated turnstile that accepts TAPP, PATH’s new contactless tap-and-go fare payment. Other turnstiles in the station house continue to accept existing PATH fare payment systems such as SmartLink and MetroCard. The station house replacement project was funded partly by a $40.7 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant.

The original station house, built in 1936, had become outmoded and outdated by modern transportation needs and was razed to make way for a more modern and accessible replacement. The new facility was built with particular focus on resiliency and sustainability in adherence to the Port Authority’s rigorous standards. It was designed with enhanced flood protection from the nearby Passaic River, with the station house’s first level located above the flood plain. Water runoff will be collected and stored in water retention tanks for landscape irrigation.

“Today’s announcement marks yet another milestone in the comprehensive modernization of our regional transportation system,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “I applaud the Port Authority for the forward-thinking lens through which this project was conceived. Combining state-of-the-art technology with sustainable and resilient practices will ensure New Jersey commuters have a first-rate mode of transportation to get where they need to go while benefiting our regional economy as a whole.”

The new station house is the latest step forward in the Port Authority’s $256 million transformation of the sprawling PATH Harrison station complex as a vital transportation hub in the region. The new facility located at the southwest corner of the Harrison station complex provides safe pedestrian access for the Harrison station without the need to cross the busy Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard. It complements a station house in the northeast section of the complex completed in 2018, and a second station house that opened in 2019 in the complex’s southeast section.

The expansion and modernization of the Harrison station complex was conceived as the town of Harrison’s development and population increased sharply in recent years, driven by quick and easy PATH service to and from New York City. In addition to service on the PATH Newark-World Trade Center line, the station provides connections to NJ TRANSIT buses, vehicle parking for commuters who wish to park and ride, and safe and secure free-to-use bicycle parking. At its peak, the station served 2.6 million passengers in pre-pandemic 2019, and has since rebounded to more than 1.7 million passengers in 2023.

In developing the new station house, PATH retained the original 1936 structure’s rich history and legacy by preserving and showcasing the original signage and numerous artifacts from the previous building. These include the installation of an interpretative display and a striking black-and-white aerial map in an area outside the entrance; bronze station signage letters; a Pennsylvania Railroad keystone, and a directional mosaic tile sign.

The Port Authority’s $256 million investment at Harrison encompasses extensive renovations, the three new station houses to improve egress, and the construction of a new substation that now powers the entire Harrison station complex. The new substation, which has been operational for a year, ensures a dedicated power source for the large complex and was built to the agency’s stringent sustainability standards.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.