At a press conference this afternoon, Pataki said the PortAuthority's $544-million proposal calls for a temporary PATHstation at the World Trade Center site to open within two years.Before the Sept. 11 bombings, the World Trade Center PATHstation--the system's busiest--accommodated 65,000 passengers perday.

"This initiative is a major step forward in a long-term programthat will result not only in new and improved public transportationto and from Lower Manhattan, but also a downtown area that is evenstronger and more dynamic," Pataki said.

DiFrancesco said the PA will reopen the Exchange Place Station,which serves Jersey City's "Gold Coast" of office buildings, withinroughly 18 months. New track at Exchange Place will allow trains toturn around there. Before Sept. 11, trains reversed directions atthe World Trade Center station. Tunnels linking the two stationswill also be rehabilitated.