Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
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Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
The
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (
PANYNJ) is a bi-state agency (operated pursuant to an
interstate compact) that runs most of the regional
transportation infrastructure, including the
bridges,
tunnels,
airports, and
seaports, within the New York–New Jersey Port District. This 1,500 mile² (3,900 km²) District is defined as a circle with a 25-mile (40-km) radius centered on the
Statue of Liberty in
New York Harbor. Established on
April 30,
1921, as the Port of New York Authority, the name of the agency and its form of operation were changed to their present form in 1972.
The Port Authority currently specializes in transportation, but it was founded to manage the Port of New York itself. Originally the port facilities were in
New York and
Brooklyn, but now virtually all of the docks and wharves are in
Newark and
Elizabeth. The
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal was the first in the nation to
containerize and is now the fifteenth busiest in the world. It moved over $100 billion in goods in 2003.
The Port Authority also operates its own 1,600-member
police department, which is responsible for providing safety and deterring criminal activity at Port Authority–owned-and-operated facilities.
Although the Port Authority does run a good portion of the transportation structures, some bridges, tunnels, and other transportation facilities are operated independently of the Port Authority, including the
Staten Island Ferry, which is operated by the
New York City Department of Transportation; bridges between Manhattan and the Bronx operated by the NYC Department of Transportation; and other bridges, tunnels, operated by the
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority which is controlled by the New York
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA);
buses, subways, and
commuter rail operated by the
New York City Transit Authority which is controlled by the MTA; and buses, commuter rail, and
light rail operated by
New Jersey Transit.
Seaports
The Port Authority operates the Brooklyn Port Authority Marine Terminal in
Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY; the Auto Marine Terminal in
Bayonne and
Jersey City; the
Howland Hook Marine Terminal on
Staten Island; and the
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in
Elizabeth.
Airports
Airports operated by the Port Authority include
John F. Kennedy International Airport and
LaGuardia Airport, both of which are located in
Queens,
New York;
Newark Liberty International Airport, located in
Newark and
Elizabeth,
New Jersey; and
Teterboro Airport, located in
Teterboro,
New Jersey. The Authority also operates the
Downtown Manhattan Heliport. Both Kennedy and LaGuardia airports are owned by the city of New York and leased to the Port Authority for operating purposes.
Bridges and tunnels
Other facilities managed by the Port Authority include the
Lincoln Tunnel, the
Holland Tunnel, and the
George Washington Bridge, which all connect
Manhattan and northern New Jersey; the
Goethals Bridge and the
Outerbridge Crossing (previously the
Arthur Kill Bridges and currently the
Staten Island Bridges); and the
Bayonne Bridge. Cash tolls for passenger vehicles crossing from New Jersey to New York City are $6; there is no toll for crossing from New York to New Jersey. Discounts are available with the
E-ZPass electronic toll collection system. Annual toll receipts from these facilities typically equal the initial construction costs.
Bus and train transit
The Port Authority operates the
Port Authority Bus Terminal at
42nd Street and the
George Washington Bridge Bus Station, the
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rapid transit system linking lower and midtown Manhattan with New Jersey, the
AirTrain Newark system linking
Newark International Airport with
New Jersey Transit and
Amtrak via a station on the
Northeast Corridor rail line, and the
AirTrain JFK system linking JFK with
Howard Beach (Subway) and
Jamaica (Subway and
Long Island Rail Road).
Real estate
The Port Authority owns the
World Trade Center site, and is currently collaborating with
Silverstein Properties and the
Lower Manhattan Development Corporation on the reconstruction effort.
The Port Authority also participates in joint development ventures around the region, including The Teleport communications center in
Staten Island,
Bathgate Industrial Park in
The Bronx, the
Essex County Resource Recovery Facility, The Legal Center in
Newark, Queens West in
Long Island City, NY, and The South Waterfront at
Hoboken, New Jersey.
The Port Authority is jointly headed by the governors of New York and New Jersey. Each governor, with the approval of his or her state senate, appoints six members to the Board of Commissioners. These members serve overlapping six-year terms without pay. A governor can veto actions by the commissioners from the same state. Meetings of the Board of Commissioners are public.
Financially, the Port Authority has no power to tax and does not receive tax money from any local or state governments. Instead, it operates on the revenues it makes from its rents, tolls, fees, and facilities.
An Executive Director is appointed by the Board of Commissioners to deal with day-to-day operations and to execute the Port Authority's policies.
Former Executive Directors
*
Eugenius H. Outerbridge*
Austin J. Tobin*
Neil D. LevinThe devastating terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, and the subsequent collapse of the
World Trade Center buildings had an immense impact on the Port Authority. As the Port Authority's headquarters was located in 1 World Trade Center, it became deprived of a base of operations and sustained a great number of casualties. The Port Authority lost a total of 84 employees, including 37
Port Authority Police Officers and its Executive Director,
Neil D. Levin.
*
Port Authority Police Department*
Transportation in New York City*
Mass transit in New York City*
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - Official Website*
Searchable Index of 9/11 Victims
