They've been on their route maps for decades, but it seems that PATH is finally ready to commit.

Beginning April 15, PATH will begin to refer to their routes by the colors which have appeared on their route maps since the 1980s, and on their trains for even longer. "We're doing this to improve communications with our customers," a Port Authority spokesperson said. "The only thing that's changing is how we refer to the lines. For example, today we would say, 'There are delays on the Newark to World Trade Center line.' Under the new system, the message is shortened to, 'There are delays on the Red line.' Space is at a premium, especially with short-form posts, as you'd find on Twitter are all the rage these days."

The four colored lines on the PATH map remain essentially the same as they are today. The Red line operates between Newark Penn Station and the World Trade Center. The Yellow line runs between Journal Square in Jersey City and 33rd Street in Manhattan. The Blue line operates between 33rd Street and the Hoboken terminal. The Green line operates between Hoboken and the World Trade Center. Red and Blue lines operate at all times, Yellow and Green lines operate weekdays between 6 AM and 11 PM. PATH is also introducing a fifth color, the Orange line, which will run between Journal Square and Hoboken nightly between 11 PM and 6 AM, and all day on weekends.



What about the Journal Square to 33rd Street via Hoboken route? "Operationally speaking, it's still there," says the spokesperson. A note on the new PATH timetable states that Orange line trains arriving at Hoboken will depart as Blue line trains to 33rd Street, and Blue line trains arriving at Hoboken will depart as Orange line trains to Journal Square.



Regular PATH users will notice no difference in train service, but new users will appreciate the new nomenclature. It also allows New York City to finally have a definitive answer to a question commonly asked by visitors: "How do I get to the Red line?" (One could replace "Red" with any of PATH's other colors.) The visitors' feelings about being sent to New Jersey, on the other hand, remain to be seen.