The Traveling Taxi Stand

Will the third time be a charm for Hoboken’s taxi stand location at the PATH?

After moving the taxi stand from the southwest position coming off the PATH to the southeast side of the street, the Parking Utility decided to move again to the northwest side of Hudson Street, confusing commuters and creating more complications when trying to fulfill the usually simple process of getting a cab when exiting the train.

“The stand used to be situated right when you got off the PATH or ferry,” explained Greg Tucker, 31, of Grand Street. “Now you have to wait for the light, go across the street, and wait much longer because the cabs are backed up to Observer (highway). It’s like the city is going out of their way to make it harder for everyone involved.”

“It’s not good,” 12-year Hoboken cabbie George Albino told the Jersey Journal. “The people from the PATH station can’t see us. They don’t even know we are here.”

The area leading up to the new taxi stand is about half a block, which only allows four cabs to sit idle on Hudson Street while pushing the others back to Observer Highway. Albino claims to have lost $20-$30 per day since the stand moved as a result.

Hoboken commuters shouldn’t get used to this current location, however. Parking Utility Commissioner John Corea said the ultimate design is to reposition the taxis to a site behind the bus terminal. He has presented an official proposal to NJ Transit (which owns that area) and has discussed the idea with agency officials, he said.

As for the current location…

“The engineers are happy, police are happy, and I am happy,” stated Corea.

The only insignificant players in all of this that appear not to be happy are those who ride the taxis and those who drive them.