Just tap and go — it’s much easier to ride PATH between NJ and NY

No matter where you get on board, you'll soon no longer need to purchase a MetroCard to access a PATH train.

You can just tap your phone, watch, or credit/debit card in order to board.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced on Wednesday that its tap-and-go payment system is now available at select turnstiles in all of its busiest stations: World Trade Center, 33 St., Newark-Penn Station, Journal Square, Hoboken, and Harrison.

The initial rollout of the system is wrapping up this week with the installation of 12 Total Access PATH Payment (TAPP) turnstiles at the World Trade Center stop, the system's busiest station.

TAPP's debut will hit PATH's remaining stations in New Jersey and New York over the coming months, the bi-state agency said.

The updated turnstiles started moving in to terminals in December. Since then, the PATH system has recorded more than a million tap-and-go transactions. On an average weekday, nearly 20,000 TAPPs are being recorded.

"Bringing a 21st century tap-to-pay fare system to PATH is an important part of our much broader effort to make every element of this century-old railroad convenient and reliable for riders — modernizing equipment, renovating stations, and renewing infrastructure across the system," said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.

During the system's phase-in, and for a substantial period after, the Port Authority will continue to permit SmartLink and MetroCard purchases.

The PATH system handled 50.5 million passengers in 2023, a 19% increase over 2022 but just 61% of 2019's total.

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