Commuters and motorists across the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area are feeling the impact of two major efforts underway to address persistent transportation challenges: a sweeping crackdown on so-called "ghost plates" and a hard look at the reliability and funding of the PATH train system. Both initiatives, while targeting different problems, reflect a region grappling with the complexities of modern transit—and the limits of current enforcement and maintenance strategies.
On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the interagency task force dedicated to rooting out ghost license plates celebrated its 100th operation at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. According to NY1, this milestone comes after a year and a half of twice-weekly stings at bridges, tunnels, and congestion pricing gantries. The results are eye-opening: more than 5,300 vehicles impounded, over 1,300 arrests, and a 20% drop in unpaid tolls since the task force launched in March 2024.
But the crackdown is about much more than unpaid tolls. Cathrine Sheridan, president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, explained, “Officers have impounded over 5,300 vehicles, and many of these cars were not just toll evaders. They were unregistered, uninsured, stolen and used in more serious crimes, including those involving firearms and narcotics.” The task force, a collaboration among 16 agencies including the NYPD, MTA, State Police, the Taxi and Limousine Commission, Nassau County, and the Port Authority, has also issued 16,000 summonses, according to NY1.
The scale of the operation is significant. Chief Felix Rivera of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Police highlighted the need for even stronger enforcement tools. “We’re looking for other tools, such as those persistent tool violators that have the ability to execute judgments against their assets, their vehicles,” he said, pointing to the current legal limits that only allow arrests for fake plates or outstanding warrants. The hope is that Albany will pass legislation to give the task force more teeth.
For now, the task force believes it is making a real difference on the streets. “Every number is a story. A story of one less car on our streets with a driver behind the wheel committing a crime,” said Olufunmilola Obe, NYPD chief of transportation. The MTA, for its part, is eager to expand the initiative statewide, arguing that the approach is working and could be replicated beyond the city.
While the ghost plate crackdown has yielded measurable results, the region’s rail commuters are facing a different set of challenges—ones that can’t be solved by enforcement alone. Since May 2025, the PATH transit system, which links New Jersey to Manhattan, has been plagued by a string of high-profile incidents. As reported by The Hoboken Girl, these include a fire beneath an eastbound train at Newport Station on August 4 that sent several passengers to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and an electric shock incident at Hoboken station on August 10 that required shutting off power to the third rail for two hours.
To make matters worse, the Hoboken PATH station is slated for a full closure from 11:59 PM on August 28 to 5 AM on September 2 for "urgent repairs to the track and interlocking system." For many commuters, these disruptions feel like the new normal rather than isolated events. “It seems as if PATH train malfunctions are not going away anytime soon, and despite the news of upcoming maintenance shutdowns aimed at fixing said issues, most riders have lost hope that these efforts will fully resolve the problems,” wrote The Hoboken Girl.
The question on everyone’s mind: What is really behind the PATH’s woes? Some, like Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, lay the blame squarely on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). In a July interview with Gothamist, Bhalla argued, “The Port Authority — a bi‑state agency run by both New York and New Jersey — has routinely underfunded the PATH system and instead has opted for multi‑billion dollar investments to the region’s new airport terminals.” He warned that a lower budget contributes to more frequent delays, longer intervals between trains, and weekend shutdowns.
The numbers, however, tell a more nuanced story. According to Seth Stein, a spokesperson for PANYNJ, the agency’s 2025 budget totals $9.4 billion, with $908 million earmarked for PATH operations and capital projects. Of that, $338 million is for capital improvements, including a two-year, $104 million PATH Forward rehabilitation program targeting key stations. Operational costs make up $570 million. Over the past five years, PANYNJ has spent $3 billion on PATH upgrades, from station renovations to new faregates and signal systems. Yet, as Stein points out, fare revenue covers only about 20% of costs—just $182 million—leaving the bulk of funding to come from the agency’s capital budget rather than outside investors, as is the case for some airport projects.
Still, the issues facing PATH aren’t unique. A 2025 analysis by the Federal Transit Administration and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center found that U.S. transit systems are collectively staring at a $140.2 billion backlog in deferred maintenance as of 2022—a staggering 38% jump from 2018. Of that, $33.5 billion is tied up in "system assets" like signals and communications, which are often in the worst condition.
Experts say part of the problem is outdated maintenance practices. Malcolm Kenton and Paul Lewis of the Eno Center for Transportation, writing in Tools for a Smoother Ride, argue that agencies typically rely on generic engineering estimates—replacing parts only when they hit a predetermined age, regardless of their actual condition. “While most transit agencies can quantify their maintenance backlog and have inventories that provide accessible, consistent, and comprehensive information about their assets, the actual condition of the assets is ‘generally not measured,’” they note, citing a 2013 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. The lack of federal standards for asset management only compounds the issue, leaving agencies to rely on inconsistent metrics.
PANYNJ uses the federal Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM) to rate asset condition, but is also rolling out its own Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) program for a more holistic assessment. The EAM system, which is being phased in with no set completion date, is intended to help the agency better anticipate problems and shift from reactive to preventive maintenance—a change that could eventually mean fewer disruptions for PATH riders.
As the region’s transportation agencies tackle enforcement and infrastructure challenges, one thing is clear: there are no quick fixes. The crackdown on ghost plates has shown that targeted, multi-agency action can deliver results, but the deep-seated issues facing the PATH system and other transit networks will require sustained investment, smarter maintenance strategies, and perhaps a rethink of how public transit is funded and managed. For now, both drivers and commuters will have to keep a close eye on what comes next—and hope that the wheels of progress keep turning.
