WTC PATH station reclaims its spot at the top.

Two months after opening, the Port Authority's World Trade Center PATH Station is setting ridership records far Faster than expected.

In the clearest sign yet of Lower Manhattan's continuing recovery from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the temporary World Trade Center Station already has achieved an important milestone, reclaiming its position as the busiest station in the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) system on weekdays --two years ahead of the Port Authority's original projection.

The World Trade Center Station also has averaged more than 30,000 weekday PATH riders since January 15--and topped 30,000 riders seven times between January 20 and 30. The busiest day occurred on January 29, when more than 36,000 riders boarded PATH at the World Trade Center Station.

Before the Port Authority restored PATH service to the World Trade Center site on November 23, 2003, the bistate agency expected the temporary station to initially average 18,000 weekday riders; to range between 20,000 and 30,000 weekday riders within the first year; and to average 24,000 weekday commuters after a year of service.

The Port Authority also expected the World Trade Center Station to become the PATH system's busiest weekday station by 2006. The station already has exceeded each goal.

New York Gov. George E. Pataki said, "The rapid return of PATH riders to the World Trade Center Station clearly shows that Lower Manhattan is recovering from the devastation of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks even faster than we had hoped."

The $2 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub will feature a Permanent PATH Terminal that eventually will serve more than 80,000 daily PATH riders, and seamless pedestrian connections to the World Financial Center and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's proposed Fulton Street Transit Center.

Lower Manhattan residents, commuters and visitors will enjoy far taster access to ferry service along the Hudson River, and to 14 Lower Manhattan subway lines--the 1/9, 2/3, 4/5, N/ R, A/C/E and J/M/Z. By 2020, these connections are expected to accommodate 250,000 daily commuters and visitors.

The Transportation Hub also is being designed to accommodate potential future rail service to John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Long Island destinations.

The permanent PATH Terminal is expected to begin serving passengers by the end of 2006. All elements of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub are scheduled for completion by 2009.

The temporary station--the final piece of the Port Authority's $566 million program to restore PATII service as quickly as possible from New Jersey to Lower Manhattan--is the first public space to open within the World Trade Center site since the terrorist attacks.