You might consider these recommendations the rules for making a proposed $1.7 billion PATH rail line extension to Newark Liberty Airport attract more riders, earn revenue and help a nearby Newark neighborhood.

A Regional Plan Association report released this week made recommendations to make it more useable by travelers and airport employees. It also stressed the importance of access to the airport station for residents of adjacent Newark neighborhoods to make it easier for them to get to airport jobs and spur redevelopment.

“The recommendations are not just to build the extension, but to build things needed to make it effective,” said Nat Bottigheimer, RPA’s New Jersey Director. “We see a potential to increase ridership from the city in the morning and outbound (from the airport) in the evening. We see a potential for huge economic development activity on land around the airport.”

Ideally, airport travelers would fill empty seats on PATH trains, riding in the opposite direction of peak commuting crowds and add revenue, he said. Airport employees commuting to and from work also could make up a significant portion of the passengers, Bottigheimer said.

What’s the draw? A 36-minute PATH ride between the airport and the World Trade Center transit hub. A comparable late afternoon cab, Uber or Lyft trip could range between 38 and 80 minutes, the report said. Google maps shows a 59 minute trip between JFK and lower Manhattan and 48 minutes from LaGuardia during off-peak hours.

One recommendation is to prioritize transit access to the airport over cars.

“In order for it to be effective, it must be coordinated with the AirTrain (monorail) rebuild,” Bottigheimer said. “It must be a seamless connection and the AirTrain connection to airport terminals must be as effective as cars. We urge coordination.”

Including the PATH extension in the Port Authority’s capital plan in 2017 brought questions about its need and if it would generate enough riders, since the line would parallel the Northeast Corridor rail line, which has an airport station. Unlike the NEC, PATH would take travelers to and from downtown Manhattan instead of Penn Station New York.

New York’s steady tourism growth since 2011, topping 65 million in 2018 and a 31% growth in takeoffs and landings at Newark airport was cited by the report as a case for the airport line.

Newark officials stressed the need for residents of the South Ward’s Dayton/Seth Boyden neighborhood to have access to the station and an easier way to get to the airport for jobs. Now, there is no way for South Ward residents to cross the NEC rail line to get to and from airport.

That community “has the worst access to transit and employment,” Bottigheimer said. “It’s critically import to have access for the neighbors.”

The station could also open up land around the airport to development and increase its value. The report suggested PATH work with the state Economic Development Authority about leveraging that economic value to support and accelerate the PATH extension.

RPA stressed the need to make access to the PATH airport line equitable to provide new economic opportunities “in the heart of at-risk communities.” Port Authority officials should share plans as early as possible on how a new PATH/AirTrain station would be accessible to the public, the report recommends.

PATH also needs to tell the public how the airport line will operate, including the frequency of service and, how rail cars will be equipped to accommodate riders with luggage, Bottigheimer said.

“We’d like them to renew engagement with public to answer these questions,” he said.

A copy of the report has been sent to the Port Authority.

“The Port Authority shares the view that improved access to all of our airports through expanded rail service is critical to more effectively moving millions of passengers – particularly at a time (when) we’re making unprecedented investments in facilities, including Newark Liberty Airport and PATH,” said Scott Ladd, an authority spokesman.

Other PATH neighbors have concerns, specifically riders in Hudson County who worry that trains will arrive packed to the doors once the airport extension opens. New residential development in Jersey City, Harrison and Hoboken is blamed for overcrowding on trains and in stations now.

“Those are reasonable concerns, the extension timing needs to be holistic,” Bottighemier said. “(It’s) not just about connecting Newark Penn Station, but meeting all the needs of riders on this line.”

Ongoing projects, such as lengthening platforms at some stations to run longer 9 and 10 car trains will help add capacity, he said. Other solutions include having some trains start from Newark Penn Station “so not every train arrives at Harrison full,” he said.

There is an $18 million commitment in the proposed Port Authority’s 2020 budget for preliminary airport extension planning.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.