JERSEY CITY, NJ —
July 16, 2026 |
By DailyHudson Staff
Elected officials, developers, and residents met Tuesday to discuss reviving the long-dormant proposal.
It was a Tuesday night in late winter, and about 40 people squeezed into a ground-floor office on Newark Avenue, not far from the light rail tracks. Some were in suits, some in work boots. A few had come straight from dinner shifts, still smelling like the grill.
They were there to talk about a train station that doesn’t exist yet, but might someday — a PATH station in the Marion neighborhood, a proposal that’s been floating around since the Carter administration.
What’s happening
On Tuesday evening, developers, elected officials, transit advocates, and Marion residents met to strategize about building a new PATH station in this part of Jersey City. The meeting was hosted by local leaders who see the station as a key piece of the neighborhood’s future — and a long-overdue project that’s been stalled for decades.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs PATH, has studied the idea before. But nothing has ever moved past the planning phase. This time, the group wants to push harder, with a more organized effort involving the city, developers who own land nearby, and community members who ride the trains every day.
The proposed location is near the intersection of Jersey Avenue and Route 440, an area that’s seen a building boom in recent years. New apartment complexes and retail spaces have risen from what used to be warehouses and empty lots, and residents say the transit options haven’t kept up.
How we got here
The idea of a Marion PATH station first came up in the late 1970s, when the neighborhood was still mostly industrial. The plan was shelved, then revived, then shelved again. Each time, the reasons were similar: not enough money, not enough political will, not enough riders.
But Marion has changed. What was once a quiet corner of the city is now one of the fastest-growing areas in Hudson County. Thousands of new apartments have been built, and more are on the way. The light rail runs through the neighborhood, but for commuters heading to Manhattan, the closest PATH stations are in Journal Square or Exchange Place — both of which can be a 20-to-30-minute bus or car ride away, depending on traffic.
That commute is more than an inconvenience. For a parent rushing to pick up a child from daycare, or a nurse working a double shift at Jersey City Medical Center, those extra 30 minutes can upend an entire day.
What it means for Hudson County
For the people who live in Marion now, a new PATH station could mean something simple but profound: more time. Time not spent waiting for a bus that’s always late. Time not spent sitting in traffic on 440. Time to make dinner, help with homework, or just sit down for a minute before the day starts again.
It could also shape the neighborhood’s future. Real estate developers are already betting on Marion — new buildings are going up at a rapid clip — but a PATH station would make the area even more attractive to people who work in New York and want a shorter commute. That could bring more businesses, more restaurants, and more tax revenue for the city. But it also raises concerns about rising rents and displacement, worries that were brought up at the Tuesday meeting, according to people who were there.
What people are saying
Ben Ackman, a freelance reporter and Jersey City native who covered the meeting for the Jersey City Times, said the room was divided but engaged. “You had developers talking about economic opportunity, and residents talking about everyday life,” he said. “Everyone seemed to agree that the idea has merit. The question is whether it can actually happen this time.”
City Council members who attended did not make any promises, but they said the project is on their radar. One official noted that the Port Authority has been more open to new transit projects in recent years, especially those that connect to existing lines. The Marion station would sit on the PATH’s Newark-to-World Trade Center line, meaning the tracks are already there — the station just isn’t.
What comes next
The group that met Tuesday plans to form a formal task force, with the goal of presenting a feasibility study to the Port Authority within the next year. There will be community meetings in the coming months, and organizers are encouraging residents to attend and share their input. The first public hearing is expected sometime this spring.
In the meantime, the neighborhood will keep growing. The trains will keep running past Marion without stopping. And every morning, hundreds of people will walk to the bus stop, check their phone, and hope for a better option — one that’s been just out of reach for 45 years.
This time, maybe it’s closer than it looks.
Source: Jersey City Times