Mayor unaware of PATH shutdown during president's visit - New York News | NYC Breaking News

When President Barack Obama visited the construction site at One World Trade Center on Thursday, the Port Authority -- at the request of the Secret Service -- shut down PATH train service for several hours in and out of the WTC station.

On Friday, that was news to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who actually accompanied the president on the visit.

During his weekly radio show, the mayor, surprised, pointed out that the MTA kept the subways running. Gambling said the Secret Service made the request.

"Well, you don't have to say yes," Bloomberg said. "You know, this is our city."

The mayor does not oversee the Port Authority, which is a bistate agency.

The PATH system made announcements all day about the trains being shut down.

The Port Authority issued this statement: "When dealing with the safety and security of the president of the United States and the first lady we follow the direction and recommendations of the U.S. Secret Service and the Port Authority Police Department. This is not negotiable and it is just common sense. We don't second guess the Secret Service and our police department."

Security experts said that to terrorists President Obama is the No. 1 one human target in the world and that Thursday he was at the No. 1 physical target -- Ground Zero -- in the No. 1 target city in the world: New York.

Former FBI agent Manuel Gomez, of MG Security, said that the Secret Service's request to shut down the PATH was not unusual and that if the agency could have its way it would shut down the entire area to limit access.

But Gomez said that Mayor Bloomberg not being told about the PATH shutdown was strange.

The head of the Secret Service in New York City said that the agency tries to work with local authorities to minimize disruptions during the president's visist.

The PATH commuters Fox 5 spoke to were not happy about losing the trains. Some understood, but some did not.