Bridge bike paths and airport trains dominated the first hearing on the Port Authority's $32 billion capital plan on Tuesday night.

About 50 people came to the first hearing in New York about the revised capital plan, which included projects left out of the 2014 plan, such as replacing the mid-town Manhattan bus terminal.

Declarations of support or opposition centered around projects to build a PATH extension to Newark Airport, an AirTrain to LaGuardia airport and requests for wider bike and pedestrian paths on the George Washington Bridge.

PATH trains are parked along the line on Route 21 that would be extended to Newark Airport for $1.5 billion. Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

The $32 billion plan funds major projects, including the $1.5 billion PATH extension to Newark Airport, a $1.5 billion LaGuardia AirTrain line, $3.5 billion toward eventual replacement of the Port Authority Bus Terminal and almost $2 billion to restore the George Washington Bridge.

A New Jersey rail advocate told officials they should scale back the replacement bus terminal project. Instead they should build a smaller Manhattan bus terminal and a bus facility at the Secaucus Junction NJ Transit station in conjunction with a proposed extension of the #7 subway line to New Jersey.

Commuters would swap a one-seat ride for a shorter trip 20 minute trip between Secaucus and Grand Central Terminal in New York by using a bus to subway transfer, said Len Resto, New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers president.

Citing an already congested Lincoln Tunnel, Resto said the agency needs to use all modes of transit to move more people predicted to commute to New York.

Meanwhile, neighbors of the bus terminal told officials they are watching the project and spending of $3.5 billion to be allocated for a new bus terminal, said Christine Berthet, a member of the transportation committee of Community Board 4.

"Whatever it is going to be spent on, we will be watchful and want to be part of the process," she said after the hearing."

Travis Navarro of Brooklyn, who commutes by PATH to Jersey City said the plan Cratosslot should focus on PATH and the bus terminal, which are moving people to jobs from places with affordable housing.

"The bus terminal moves more people than Grand Central Terminal, the Port Authority should focus on that, so it is no longer crumbling," he said. "PATH provides more opportunity to get people into the region's core."

Jack May, an NJ-ARP director opposed the PATH expansion to Newark Airport in its present form because it would require  passengers to still transfer to the "Mickey Mouse style, cramped airport monorail."

"You should not spend hard to come by money on so unworthy of a project," he said. "It is wasteful and should be eliminated."

Other self described transit advocates from New York opposed the AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport and supported the PATH extension. Several said the AirTrain would be too long a ride and that existing bus service would be quicker to LaGuardia.

People representing bicycling clubs and advocacy groups said the plan should have funds to widen the George Washington Bridge bike and pedestrian path while the almost $2 billion "Restore the George" rehabilitation work is ongoing.

The bridge is among the highest in use by about 37,000 cyclists daily, but has the narrowest of paths, said Bobby Leone, an Empire State Triathlon Club member.

Daniel Denigris, owner of the Echelon Bike Shop in Manhattan said the plan should fund wider paths on the bridge.

"For cyclists living in Manhattan the best and safest bike routes are in New Jersey and the George Washington Bridge is the only way to get there," he said. "The ( 7 foot wide) path is the scariest and most dangerous part of the ride."

A second hearing is scheduled between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Feb. 7, at Port Authority offices at 2 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, near Exchange Place.  Email comments will be taken until Feb. 15. The authority's board of commissioners are scheduled to vote on the plan on Feb. 16.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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