Traveling to and from New York City on the weekends is about to get a lot more complicated.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced today that weekend PATH service on the 33rd Street line will be suspended starting in early August and continuing into December. The months-long suspension is part of a federally-mandated safety initiative to install a new computerized signal system designed to improve passenger service and safety, the Port Authority said in a statement announcing the news.

Service on the 33rd Street line will be suspended from approximately 12:01 a.m. on Saturdays until 5 a.m. on Mondays. The suspension will continue most weekends into December, with the exception of major holidays, the Port Authority announced.

Regular weekend service will continue on the Newark-World Trade Center (WTC) line and between Journal Square and Hoboken. However, PATH can take some solace in the introduction of service between Hoboken and WTC on the weekend -- which is not normally available.

The Port Authority is advising PATH riders affected by the service suspension to travel to the WTC station, and then take New York City subway service to uptown destinations.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer could not be immediately reached for comment this afternoon.

Both Hudson County mayors were staunch opponents of a 2014 proposal to eliminate overnight PATH service and even privatize the whole system. While the governors of New York and New Jersey both supported the idea, the plan was officially squashed in January 2015 when the Port Authority tabled the proposal amid backlash from the public and elected officials like Fulop and Zimmer.

Despite the obvious implications of the suspension, Jersey City Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne appears encouraged by the provisions of the Port Authority's plan and the advance notice given to riders.

"I can sometimes be critical of the Port Authority, but in this case they have done exactly what was asked. Unlike in 2014 they are providing the shuttle so riders don't have to pay double and they are providing more advance notice," said Osborne, who represents Downtown Jersey City. "Definitely a positive step in the right direction for how to treat the residents of Jersey City."

While service is suspended, shuttle buses that will make stops between the WTC and 29th Street along Sixth and Seventh avenues will be provided. The weekend closures will impact the Christopher, Ninth, 14

th

, 23

rd

and 33

rd

street stations.

PATH riders can expect similar suspensions next year as well, the Port Authority said, adding that a schedule has yet to be announced.

The 33rd Street PATH line upgrade is part of a multi-phased plan to improve the system and provide riders more frequent rush hour service. The Positive Train Control (PTC), an updated safety-enhanced system that the federal government has mandated be completed by the end of 2018, is at the center of the upcoming service interruption.

However, the bi-state agency said the improvements will provide PATH riders increased reliability in the future, as well as lay the groundwork for increased passenger capacity.

Further updates, bus maps and details will be provided as available through the Port Authority's website, www.panynj.gov/PATH.