PATH ridership in June reached its highest monthly total ever, with nearly 7 million people entering the turnstiles system-wide – a 3.6% increase over June 2015, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced on July 28th.

Additionally, PATH reported its average weekday ridership of 277,946 in June also was the highest for any month on record, reflecting a 4.1% increase from June 2015. The stations that experienced the highest percentage increases in average weekday ridership in June compared to June 2015 were Christopher Street, Grove Street, Harrison and Exchange Place. On weekends, the Harrison, World Trade Center, Grove Street and Exchange Place stations experienced the biggest increases in average ridership.

Year-to-date, total system-wide ridership is 5.5% higher than the same period in 2015, with average weekday ridership increasing by 5.4%, and average Saturday ridership increasing by 2.2%.

PATH officials attributed the record-setting increases primarily to continued economic growth, an improving regional employment picture and a larger-than-normal number of tourists and sightseers, due to the improved economy and relatively good weather so far this year.

“As the traveling public increases its reliance on PATH, we renew our commitment to providing service that maintains the highest levels of safety and efficiency,” said PATH Director/General Manager Michael Marino.

The record-setting numbers come at a time PATH is working to improve safety and increase capacity throughout the system. As part of a comprehensive, federally-mandated safety initiative to install a new computerized signal system for better passenger service and safety, weekend PATH service on the 33rd Street line in Manhattan will be suspended starting Aug 6.

The project’s centerpiece is the installation of Positive Train Control (PTC), an updated safety-enhanced system that the federal government has mandated be completed by the end of 2018.