Don't forget, this is the weekend the PATH says they're have mandated work to do

So the 33rd St. line will be closed from Friday at midnight til Monday at 5am for what PATH and the Port Authority says is federally mandated work to improve safety which is true. This work at a snails pace (Getting paid by the hour by the union?) will continue into December, maybe longer.

It was mandated EIGHT YEARS AGO. Take your time Port Authority and PATH. It's only our safety. Also, don't let prices and costs rise or anything before you get started. Your orders on this are as old as the Jersey City Desk. Congratulations.

PATH, they're working on the problem, you assholes

A message from the Port Authority and PATH (as far as you know):

PATH and the Port Authority want you to know we take your complaints and concerns to heart by offering very little to no update information, and replying only to concerns like which cars lack air conditioning. We wish you'd all just shut up and fuck off but we can't say it outloud. Just swipe or tap your cards and deal with the fact once that happens, you can pound sand for all we care. If you complain too loudly we'll close Exchange Place on weekends this winter too.

Happy Holidays from Your pals,
Port Authority and #PATH

Credit where credit is due; Snow removal was aces this time

So hats off to all those who cleaned our streets and kept the PATH running with only a ten minute delay. All you guys and gals get a Jersey City Desk tip of the chapeau. We also noticed some PRIVATE snow contractors working around 5 am this morning. We like this idea. They live for this stuff!

About the only train running on time into NY is the old Rock Island Line

Sorry for the old Leadbelly/Johnny Cash reference there. The PATH trains are running from Journal Square to 33rd St. in Gotham only every 30 minutes now with delays expected even then. Just call it a limited schedule.

According to PATH Alerts this morning:
Due to necessary track rehabilitation Path Train service on the Journal Square to 33rd Street via Hoboken line is operating on a 30-minute schedule. Newark to World Trade Center line is operating on a normal weekend schedule.

Check the schedule of your train before heading out into the blast furnace today.

There are rats in the subway lines in NYC -- Ya don't say

OK OK the article isn't pointing out in some shocked fashion there are rats in the NYC (and PATH) stations and lines. The article is a pretty good read kids, there are some things you'll learn, like rats call fall 40 feet and still hit the ground running. The NYC Metro folks say there aren't as many rats in the subway system as you'd think but really, whatever they have tried hasn't worked. Rat poison is only placed on the tracks but is often blown away by passing trains. Besides the experts say, rats at this point pretty much KNOW the third rail is electrified and avoid it so they don't spend a lot of time ON the tracks (Johnny's seen some permanently affixed to the tracks if you get his drift).

The biggest rats on the PATH system that Johnny has seen reside at the 23rd St. stop. They'll run up and down the stairs between the PATH and MTA lines down below. Make sure to say hi.

"Tap & Go"? We're all for it

NJ Transit and the Port Authority are trying out new "Tap & Go" payments where one taps a credit card with a pay pass attached electronically and simply tap it at the proper turnstile and boom, you're in, no need for a Metro Card (well there is but more on that in a minute) or other NJ Transit ticket. The new Tap & Go stops are working at all New Jersey locations on PATH. In fact 11 of the 13 PATH stops are outfitted with the technology but keep your Metro Card handy as Christopher St. and 9th St. are the exceptions to the rule. Currently those two stations are not equipped to use Tap & Go. In addition to the PATH trains, 6 NJ Transit busses are using the Tap & Go system, the three routes that connect their riders to PATH terminals, and the 6, 80 and 87.

In New York the MTA lines have Tap & Go available on the Lexington Avenue subway lines - the 4, 5 and 6 - and eight MTA bus routes - the M14, M23, M79, M86, M101, M102, M103 and BXM7.

Anything that makes transportation faster and more efficient we're all for.

Dear coughing and hacking jackass on the PATH back to Jersey last Saturday night

So Johnny does the polite and right thing and makes sure his wife, mother and father in law have seats while he stands coming back from 33rd. Some Thimble headed gherkin is coughing and horking without covering his mouth or even trying to protect the general public. Well guess what fartknocker, now I have your disease. Show some class man, show you care about somebody else. Next time you're sleeping with the rats at 23rd St. Johnny thinks the track rats at 23rd St. are the biggest on the PATH line.

Required reading on a Wednesday

*Despite almost everyone in the free world knowing it's Larry Silverstein holding up the new World Trade Center development, Mayor Bloomberg is still backing his slappy and thus fighting progress.

*A driver managed to drive his car through a fence and rolled it over on the PATH tracks near Tonnele near Journal Square, delays continue.

*Disgraced Bayonne Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone continues to live in his own dream world where he did nothing wrong this time asking Mercer County Superior Court to throw out charges he and his wife stole money from aides.

When to pull the emergency brake on the PATH/Subway and when NOT to pull it

A very helpful refresher course in the NY Times on when you should and shouldn't pull the emergency brake. Pull it at the right time and the person hanging on for dear life between cars or stuck in the door may live through it. Pull it at the wrong time and you could be sitting in a car with a murderer. No, really.

This afternoon, the Devils alumni are playing the JCPD in a fundraiser for the children of Marc DiNardo

Many former Devils greats will face off against the JCPD at the Prudential Center at 3 pm today in a fundraiser for the three children of slain Jersey City Detective Marc DiNardo. Some of the former Devils who are going to participate include Bruce Driver, Ken Daneyko, Grant Marshall, Chico Resch, Rob Skrlac, Valeri Zelepukin, Jim Dowd, Andy Brickley and Laurie Boschman.

Tickets are only $20 and the proceeds will be spilt evenly among DiNardo's three children. Over 3000 tickets have been sold already so come on Jersey City, let's get out to Newark and have a fantastic walk up gate, let's see if we can't get 5000 fans to The Rock this afternoon to help DiNardo's kids and honor one of our bravest.

I mean really, what were you going to do watch the Jets play one win Tampa Bay? The Giants play tonight so no sweat, plenty of time to get out on the old PATH train and do something positive.

Shocking, Santa's helpers work for a pimp

Johnny never would have believed it himself if it were not for this video proof. Some of Santa's helpers/toymakers being escorted on the PATH train late last night by one of Santa's enforcer pimps. If you click the image it'll get bigger and you'll note Santa's enforcer pimp hiding his face in shame.

Intoxicated New York man falls on PATH tracks at Pavonia stop, train rolls over him......he's fine

Miraculous. A tipsy New York man fell onto the train tracks at the Pavonia/Newport stop last night just as the World Train Center train was rolling into the station and te train simply went over him, leaving him unscathed. Emergency services responded, no doubt expecting a long delay and a pretty big sized clean up but as they located him he crawled out from under the train and dusted himself off.

Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.

Saturday morning news-o-rama

A Staten Island teenager pulled a Wile E. Coyote and managed to fall straight down a manhole while texting.

In case you hadn't been following along, the Mets eat, suck and blow.

New York City police have busted one of a group of four thugs committing anti-gay robbery and beat down attacks. We wonder how this guy will cope in prison when he's the recipient of such 'shakedowns' in the general population.

If you want to see important elected types ride a PATH train probably for the first time in their lives, click here. It does come to mind there are signs on the trains requesting riders give up their seats for people like Senator Frank Lautenberg. He doesn't need to stand.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) had now decided they should get a say in naming beer. They are angry that a local brewery has decided to name some good sounding ales and beers after New Jersey Turnpike exits. Seriously MADD, get over yourselves. They are names of exits on the flipping highway. It's NOT encouraging drinking and driving, they're names.

New PATH train cars--you kids take care of these

Because they're all the new train cars you're getting for a while so you treat these cars nice.

New shiny and very modern PATH train cars are hitting the lines complete with voiceovers telling riders about the next stop, video cameras to keep an eye on the riders who might act out and teevees to provide news and weather and sports updates (and no doubt annoying advertisements). According to PATH officials trains will increase from 7 to 10 cars along the Newark to WTC main route to further help ease congestion.

These new cars are costing $500 million dollars so you kids keep your feet off the seats, capice?

No PATH delays this morning...

We know tens of thousands of commuters check the Jersey City Desk before heading off to work and we are happy to announce that after a weekend of seemingly nothing but PATH train delays, there are no delays this morning. In other words, sorry, you have to go to work.

That is all...

Woo Hoo, we're #1!

With two more confirmed cases this week, our very own Hudson County is #1 in New Jersey with swine flu illness! Ya see Hudson County, when you put your mind to it, put yourself at greater risk, you really can achieve your goals and come out on top.

However, this is a brief lead, another county could have a good week and pass us. We're going to need to make sure you don't wash your hands, don't cover your mouths to cough or sneeze and my all means, if you feel ill, go for a ride on the PATH train.

A good read for a rainy Sunday

The Star-Ledger's Mark Mueller takes a very interesting look at the new ARC tunnel being constructed from North Bergen under the 1 & 9 to it's ultimate destination at 34th Street between 6th and 8th Avenues in New York City.

When the project finishes in 2017 the ARC will connect commuters to PATH trains, 14 NYC Subway lines and the Long Island Railroad.

The story is a great read on all the hurdles facing the project, tunnel digging machines as long as football fields, and the disagreement between NJ Transit and Amtrak.

Good work Mr. Mueller.

Apparently, almost 100 MILLION in money appropriated to keep PATH and NY subway travel safer has gone unspent

A stunning story this morning by Bob Braun that reports of 127 million (only 7.2 million of it has been spent) approved for such things as more police, better technology, bomb sniffing dogs, and hardened walls is just rotting. Your tax money, approved to help protect you, is not being used to do such.

Now, luckily, this was discovered before somebody tried attacking a commuter train. There is still time to implement such security (we hope) and get the idiots in charge of spending this money to actually do the will of congress. You can't blame Congress this time kids, they did their part making the funds available. Nope, where jobs should be lost are in the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FACT!

A second rail tunnel into New York City begins this week

Well the bid parts anyway. Years from now when they run the first trains on it to much fanfare, you'll be able to think back on the day you first read about work starting for it. The project's first bids, an underpass to be constructed beneath Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen, will begin accepting bids Friday. Construction is expected to begin this spring and the new rail tunnel will run under the Palisades.

Dig baby dig.

You don't want that

Johnny is convinced you can watch the teevee news and no matter the bad news story you can respond with one of two lines, either "Don't go there" or "You don't want that". This morning we bring you "You don't want that"

New York City's Penn Station is temporarily CLOSED to traffic because Amtrak is unable to close Portal Bridge in Kearny.

Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct train service lines are affected. NJ Transit passes and tickets will be accepted to use on the Path lines at Hoboken and Newark and using NJ Transit bus service.

Good luck commuters, godspeed.....