PANYNJ's logo since 2020 | |
| Formation | April 30, 1921; 104 years ago (1921-04-30) |
|---|---|
| Type | Port district |
| Headquarters | 4 World Trade Center (150Greenwich Street Manhattan,New York 10007, U.S. |
Region served | Port of New York and New Jersey |
Executive Director | Rick Cotton[1] |
| Website | panynj.gov |

ThePort Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, asPort Authority NY NJ) is ajoint venture between theU.S. states ofNew York andNew Jersey, established in 1921 through aninterstate compactauthorized by the United States Congress. The Port Authority oversees much of the regional transportation infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, airports, andseaports, within the geographical jurisdiction of thePort of New York and New Jersey. This 1,500-square-mile (3,900 km2) port district is generally encompassed within a 25-mile (40 km) radius of theStatue of Liberty National Monument.[2] The Port Authority is headquartered at4 World Trade Center inLower Manhattan.
The Port Authority operates thePort Newark–Elizabeth Marine Terminal, which consistently ranks among the largest ports in the United States by tonnage handled, and the largest on theEastern Seaboard.[3] The Port Authority also operates six bi-state crossings: three connecting New Jersey withManhattan, and three connecting New Jersey withStaten Island. ThePort Authority Bus Terminal and thePATH rail system are also run by the Port Authority, as well asLaGuardia Airport,John F. Kennedy International Airport,Newark Liberty International Airport,Teterboro Airport, andStewart International Airport. The agency has its own 2,100 memberPort Authority Police Department.[4]
ThePort of New York and New Jersey comprised the main point of embarkation for U.S. troops and supplies sent to Europe duringWorld War I, via theNew York Port of Embarkation. The congestion at the port led experts to realize the need for a port authority to supervise the extremely complex system of bridges, highways, subways, and port facilities in the New York-New Jersey area. The solution was the 1921 creation of the Port Authority under the supervision of the governors of the two states. By issuing its own bonds, it was financially independent of either state; the bonds were paid off from tolls and fees, not from taxes. It became one of the major agencies of the metropolitan area for large-scale projects.[5] Early bond issues were tied to specific projects, but this changed in 1935 when the Authority issued General and Refunding bonds with a claim on its general revenues.[6]
In the early years of the 20th century, there were disputes between the states of New Jersey and New York over rail freights and boundaries. At the time, rail lines terminated on the New Jersey side of the harbor, while ocean shipping was centered on Manhattan and Brooklyn. Freight had to be shipped across the Hudson River in barges.[7] In 1916, New Jersey launched a lawsuit against New York over issues of rail freight, with theInterstate Commerce Commission (ICC) issuing an order that the two states work together, subordinating their own interests to the public interest.[8] The Harbor Development Commission, a joint advisory board set-up in 1917, recommended that a bi-state authority be established to oversee efficient economic development of the port district.[9] The Port of New York Authority was established on April 30, 1921,[10] through an interstate compact between the states ofNew Jersey andNew York. This was the first such agency in the United States, created under a provision in theConstitution of the United States permittinginterstate compacts.[2][11] The idea for the Port Authority was conceived during theProgressive Era, which aimed at the reduction of political corruption and at increasing the efficiency of government. With the Port Authority at a distance frompolitical pressures, it was able to carry longer-term infrastructure projects irrespective of the election cycles and in a more efficient manner.[12] In 1972 it was renamed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to better reflect its status as a partnership between the two states.[10]
Throughout its history, there have been concerns about democraticaccountability, or lack thereof at the Port Authority.[12] The Port District is irregularly shaped but comprises a 1,500-square-mile (3,900 km2) area roughly within a 25-mile (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty.


At the beginning of the 20th century, there were no road bridge or tunnel crossings between the two states. The initial tunnel crossings were completed privately by theHudson and Manhattan Railroad in 1908 and 1909 ("Hudson Tubes"), followed by thePennsylvania Railroad in 1910 ("North River Tunnels"). Under an independent agency, theHolland Tunnel was opened in 1927, with some planning and construction pre-dating the Port Authority. With the rise inautomobile traffic, there was demand for moreHudson River crossings. Using its ability to issuebonds and collect revenue, the Port Authority has built and managed major infrastructure projects. Early projects included bridges across theArthur Kill, which separatesStaten Island from New Jersey.[10] TheGoethals Bridge, named after chief engineer of thePanama Canal Commission GeneralGeorge Washington Goethals, connectedElizabeth, New Jersey andHowland Hook, Staten Island. At the south end of Arthur Kill, theOuterbridge Crossing was built and named after the Port Authority's first chairman,Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge.[13] Construction of both bridges was completed in 1928. TheBayonne Bridge, opened in 1931, was built across theKill van Kull, connectingStaten Island withBayonne, New Jersey.[14]
Construction began in 1927 on theGeorge Washington Bridge, linking the northern part ofManhattan withFort Lee, New Jersey, with Port Authority chief engineer,Othmar Ammann, overseeing the project.[10] The bridge was completed in October 1931, ahead of schedule and well under the estimated costs. This efficiency exhibited by the Port Authority impressed PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt, who used this as a model in creating theTennessee Valley Authority and other such entities.[12]
In 1930, the Holland Tunnel was placed under the control of the Port Authority, providing significanttoll revenues.[14] The Port Authority also controlled theLincoln Tunnel, connecting New Jersey andMidtown Manhattan. The Lincoln Tunnel opened in 1937 as a single-tube tunnel;[15] a second tube opened in 1945,[16] and a third tube opened in 1957.[17]
In 1962, the Port Authority absorbed the bankrupt Hudson & Manhattan Railroad and reorganized it asPort Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH).[18] As part of the deal, the Port Authority acquired the rights to build theoriginal World Trade Center on the site of the oldHudson Terminal, one of two terminals in Manhattan for H&M/PATH.[19]
In 1942,Austin J. Tobin became the executive director of the Port Authority. In the post-World War II period, the Port Authority expanded its operations to include airports, andmarine terminals, with projects includingNewark Liberty International Airport andPort Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminals. Meanwhile, the city-owned La Guardia Field was nearing capacity in 1939 and needed expensive upgrades and expansion. At the time, airports were operated asloss leaders, and the city was having difficulties maintaining the status quo, losing money and unable to undertake needed expansions.[20] The city was looking to hand the airports over to apublic authority, possibly toRobert Moses'Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority. After long negotiations with the City of New York, a 50-year lease, commencing on May 31, 1947, went to the Port Authority of New York to rehabilitate, develop, and operateLa Guardia Airport (La Guardia Field),John F. Kennedy International Airport (Idlewild Airport), andFloyd Bennett Field.[10][21] The Port Authority transformed the airports into fee-generating facilities, adding stores and restaurants.[20]
David Rockefeller, president ofChase Manhattan Bank, envisioned aWorld Trade Center forlower Manhattan. Realizing that he needed public funding in order to construct the massive project, he approached Tobin. Although many questioned the Port Authority's entry into the real estate market, Tobin saw the project as a way to enhance the agency's power and prestige, and agreed to the project. The Port Authority was the overseer of the World Trade Center, hiring the architectMinoru Yamasaki and engineerLeslie Robertson.
Yamasaki ultimately settled on the idea of twin towers. To meet the Port Authority's requirement to build 10 million square feet (930,000 m2) of office space, the towers would each be 110 stories tall. The size of the project raised ire from the owner of theEmpire State Building, which would lose its title of tallest building in the world.[14] Other critics objected to the idea of this much "subsidized" office space going on the open market, competing with the private sector. Others questioned the cost of the project, which in 1966 had risen to $575 million.[14] Final negotiations between The City of New York and the Port Authority centered on tax issues. A final agreement was made that the Port Authority would make annual payments in lieu of taxes, for the 40% of the World Trade Center leased to private tenants. The remaining space was to be occupied by state andfederal government agencies. In 1962, the Port Authority signed theUnited States Customs Service as a tenant, and in 1964 they signed a deal with theState of New York to locate government offices at the World Trade Center.[22]
In August 1968, construction on the World Trade Center's north tower started, with construction on the south tower beginning in January 1969.[23] When the World Trade Center twin towers were completed, the total cost to the Port Authority had reached $900 million.[24] The buildings were dedicated on April 4, 1973, with Tobin, who had retired the year before, absent from the ceremonies.[25]
In 1986, the Port Authority sold rights to the World Trade Center name for $10 to an organization run by an outgoing executive,Guy F. Tozzoli. He in turn made millions of dollars selling the use of the name in up to 28 different states.[26]
After the1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Port Authority was sued by survivors of the attack for negligence in not making security upgrades to known flaws that could have prevented the attack. The Port Authority was ruled to be negligent.[27]

The terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11, 2001, and the subsequentcollapse of the World Trade Center buildings impacted the Port Authority. With the Port Authority's headquarters located in1 World Trade Center, it became deprived of a base of operations and sustained a great number of casualties. An estimated 1,400 Port Authority employees worked in the World Trade Center.[28] Eighty-four employees, including 37 Port Authority police officers, its executive director,Neil D. Levin, and police superintendent, Fred V. Morrone, died.[29] In rescue efforts following the collapse, two Port Authority police officers,John McLoughlin andWill Jimeno, were pulled out alive after spending nearly 24 hours beneath 30 feet (9.1 m) of rubble.[30][31] Their rescue was later portrayed in the 2006Oliver Stone filmWorld Trade Center. Future Executive DirectorChristopher O. Ward was at the World Trade Center on 9/11, and is a survivor of the attack.[32] Ward was Chief of External Affairs & Director of Port Development underNeil Levin at the time. As the executive director from 2008 to 2011, he is credited with turning around Ground Zero construction and having the memorial ready for the 10th anniversary.[33][34] A former attorney for the PANYNJ who worked on 9/11 related issues is now on the federal bench,Angel Kelley.[35]
TheFort Lee lane closure scandal was a USpolitical scandal that concernsNew Jersey GovernorChris Christie's staff and his Port Authority political appointees conspiring to create atraffic jam inFort Lee, New Jersey as political retribution, and their attempts to cover up these actions and suppress internal and public disclosures. Dedicated toll lanes for one of the Fort Lee entrances (used by local traffic from Fort Lee and surrounding communities) to the upper level on theGeorge Washington Bridge, which connects toManhattan, were reduced from three to one from September 9–13, 2013. The toll lane closures caused massive Fort Lee traffic back-ups, which affected public safety due to extensive delays by police and emergency service providers and disrupted schools due to the delayed arrivals of students and teachers. Two Port Authority officials (who were appointed by Christie and would later resign) claimed that reallocating two of the toll lanes from the local Fort Lee entrance to themajor highways was due to atraffic study evaluating "traffic safety patterns" at the bridge, but the executive director of the Port Authority was unaware of a traffic study.[36][37][38]
As of March 2014[update], the repercussions and controversy surrounding these actions continue to be under investigation by the Port Authority, federal prosecutors, and a New Jersey legislature committee. The Port Authority's chairman,David Samson, who was appointed by Governor Christie, resigned on March 28, 2014, amid allegations of his involvement in the scandal and other controversies.[39]
In April 2018,Caren Turner resigned from the Board of Commissioners after an ethics investigation revealed that her attempt to intervene in a traffic stop for her daughter included what the Port Authority described as "profoundly disturbing" conduct. New Jersey police released a videotape of her attempting to leverage her position at the Port Authority to intimidate police officers,[40][41] following a routine traffic stop of a vehicle in which her adult daughter was a passenger.[42][43] Her case was referred to New Jersey's Ethics Commission.[44]
In May 2024, the Authority transferred ownership of the Brooklyn Port Authority Marine Terminal &Red Hook Container Terminal to the City of New York in exchange for ownership of theHowland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island.[45][46][47]

The Port Authority is jointly controlled by the governors ofNew York andNew Jersey, who appoint the members of the agency's Board of Commissioners and retain the right to veto the actions of the commissioners from their own state.[48] Each governor appoints six members to the Board ofCommissioners, who are subject to state senate confirmation and serve overlapping six-year terms without pay.[2] 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. Under an informal power-sharing agreement, the governor of New Jersey chooses the chairman of the board and the deputy executive director, while the governor of New York selects the vice chairman and executive director.[49][50]
The Port Authority is headquartered at4 World Trade Center inLower Manhattan.[51] The agency was headquartered at1 World Trade Center in the firstWorld Trade Center complex,[52] where it occupied 22,411 square feet (2,082.1 m2) of space.[53] It had been headquartered in the WTC complex beginning in 1973. After the previous headquarters were destroyed in theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, the Port Authority moved into225 Park Avenue South inMidtown Manhattan,[54] with employees divided between offices in New York and New Jersey,[55] before returning to the World Trade Center in 2015.[54]
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.[56]
Meetings of the Board of Commissioners are public. Members of the public may address the Board at these meetings, subject to a prior registration process via email.[57] Public records of the Port Authority may be requested via the Office of the Secretary according to an internal Freedom of Information policy which is intended to be consistent with and similar to the state Freedom of Information policies of both New York and New Jersey.[58]
Members of the Board of Commissioners are typically business titans and political power brokers who maintain close relationships with their respective governors. On February 3, 2011, former New Jersey Attorney GeneralDavid Samson was named the new chairman of the Port Authority by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.[59] Gov. Christie announced Samson's resignation in March 2016, a casualty of investigations into the "Bridgegate" scandal.[60]Basil Paterson, father of former GovernorDavid Paterson, served on the board from 1989 to 1995, and again from 2013 to 2014.[61]
The current commissioners are:
| Name[62] | State | First appointed[62] | First appointed by[62] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey H. Lynford (Vice Chairman) | NY | June 2011 | Andrew Cuomo |
| Gary LaBarbera | NY | June 30, 2017 | Andrew Cuomo |
| Rossana Rosado | NY | July 2, 2017 | Andrew Cuomo |
| Winston Fisher | NY | June 10, 2023 | Kathy Hochul |
| Leecia Eve | NY | July 12, 2017 | Andrew Cuomo |
| Elizabeth Fine | NY | June 6, 2024 | Kathy Hochul |
| Kevin J. O'Toole (chairman) | NJ | July 2, 2017 | Chris Christie |
| Kevin P. McCabe | NJ | December 19, 2017 | Chris Christie |
| Michelle Richardson | NJ | June 8, 2021 | Phil Murphy |
| J. Christian Bollwage | NJ | February 27, 2023 | Phil Murphy |
| George Helmy | NJ | February 27, 2023 | Phil Murphy |
| Joseph Kelley | NJ | February 27, 2023 | Phil Murphy |
| Name | Tenure | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|
| Port of New York Authority | ||
| John E. Ramsey | 1926–1930 (as Chief Executive Officer)[63] 1930–1942 (as General Manager)[63] | Al Smith |
| Austin J. Tobin | 1942[63] – 1946 (as General Manager) 1946–1972[64] | Charles Poletti |
| Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | ||
| Matthias Lukens | 1972–1973 (acting)[65] | Nelson Rockefeller |
| A. Gerdes Kuhbach | 1973 – August 1974 (acting)[65] August 1974 – 1977[65] | Malcolm Wilson |
| Peter C. Goldmark, Jr. | 1977–1985[63][66] | Hugh Carey |
| Patrick J. Falvey | 1985 (acting) | Mario Cuomo |
| Stephen Berger | 1986–1990[63] | |
| Stanley Brezenoff | 1990–1995[63][67] | |
| George Marlin | 1995–1997[63] | George Pataki |
| Robert E. Boyle | 1997–2001 | |
| Neil D. Levin | March 2001 – September 11, 2001 | |
| Ronald H. Shiftan | September 11, 2001 – December 31, 2001 | |
| Joseph J. Seymour | January 1, 2002 – October 2004 | |
| Kenneth J. Ringler, Jr.[68] | October 2004 – December 31, 2006 | |
| Anthony Shorris | January 1, 2007 – April 24, 2008 | Eliot Spitzer |
| Christopher O. Ward | May 1, 2008 – November 1, 2011 | David Paterson |
| Patrick J. Foye | November 1, 2011 – August 13, 2017 | Andrew Cuomo |
| Rick Cotton | August 14, 2017 – present[1] | |
On July 14, 2016,David Samson pleaded guilty to a felony for conspiring to impede an airport project to coerce United Airlines to reinstate a discontinued flight to an airport in South Carolina, near a home that he owned.[69] He was appointed by Chris Christie.



The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey manages and maintains infrastructure critical to the New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network—five of the region's airports, the New York/New Jersey seaport, the PATH rail transit system, six tunnels and bridges between New York and New Jersey, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and George Washington Bridge Bus Station in Manhattan and The World Trade Center site.[73]
ThePort of New York and New Jersey is the largest port complex on the East Coast of North America. In 2021, Port Authority seaports handled the fourth largest amount of shipping among U.S. ports, measured in total tonnage.[74][72] As of August 2022, the Port Authority led the country when considering only containers and not bulk materials such as petroleum and grain.[75]
The Port Authority operates the followingseaports:[73]
The Port Authority operates theExpressRail rail services within the seaport area, including dockside trackage andrailyards fortransloading. It interchanges withConrail Shared Assets Operations (CRCX) on theChemical Coast Secondary,Norfolk Southern (NS),CSX Transportation (CSX), andCanadian Pacific (CP).[77][78] From January through October 2014 the system handled 391,596rail lifts.[79] As of 2014, three ExpressRail systems (Elizabeth, Newark, Staten Island) were in operation with the construction of a fourth at Port Jersey underway.
The Port Authority has operatedNew York New Jersey Rail, LLC (NYNJ), since its acquisition in 1962. It serves as aswitching and terminal railroad operating acar float operation acrossUpper New York Bay between theGreenville Yard in Jersey City and Brooklyn.
The Port Authority operates the following airports:[73]
Both Kennedy and LaGuardia airports are owned by theCity of New York and leased to the Port Authority for operating purposes. Newark Liberty is owned by the cities of Elizabeth and Newark and is also leased to the Authority. In 2007,Stewart International Airport, owned by theState of New York, was leased to the Port Authority. The Port Authority officially took over select management functions of the Atlantic City International Airport on July 1, 2013, in conjunction with theSouth Jersey Transportation Authority, which leases the airport site from theFAA.[80][81]
JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty as a whole form the largest airport system in the United States, second in the worldin terms of passenger traffic, and first in the world by total flight operations, with JFK being the 19th busiest in the world and the 6th busiest in the U.S.
The Authority operated theDowntown Manhattan Heliport (Manhattan, New York) until the lease expired in August 2007[82] but continued to operate it until the next lessee took over. The Authority had operated the other heliports in Manhattan but gave up leases for all of them over the years.
The Port Authority manages every crossing between New York City and New Jersey, which include theGeorge Washington Bridge, theLincoln Tunnel, and theHolland Tunnel, which all connectManhattan and Northern New Jersey, as well as theGoethals Bridge, theBayonne Bridge, and theOuterbridge Crossing, which connectStaten Island andNew Jersey. They also maintain many entrances approaches to these crossings, such as theGWB Plaza andLincoln Tunnel Helix.[73]

The Port Authority operates thePATH rapid transit system linking lower and midtown Manhattan with New Jersey, theAirTrain Newark system linkingNewark International Airport withNJ Transit andAmtrak viaa station on theNortheast Corridor rail line, and theAirTrain JFK system linking JFK with theHoward Beach subway station and the Jamaicasubway andLong Island Rail Road stations.[73]
Major bus depots include thePort Authority Bus Terminal at42nd Street, theGeorge Washington Bridge Bus Station, and theJournal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City.[73]
The PANYNJ is a major stakeholder in theGateway Program.[83] The program will upgrade theNortheast Corridor by building two new tunnels under theHudson River paralleling the existingNorth River Tunnels, as well as connecting infrastructure.[84]
The Port Authority also owns and operates a network of shuttle buses on its airport properties. As of 2017, the agency operates 23Orion buses at Newark Airport, 7 at LaGuardia Airport, and 40 at JFK Airport, all purchased in 2007 and 2009.[85]
The Port Authority also participates in joint development ventures around the region, including theTeleport business park onStaten Island,Bathgate Industrial Park inthe Bronx, the Industrial Park at Elizabeth, theEssex County Resource Recovery Facility,Newark Legal Center,Queens West inLong Island City, and the South Waterfront inHoboken.[73] However, by April 2015, the agency was considering divesting itself of the properties to raise revenue and return to the core mission of supporting transportation infrastructure.[86]
The Port Authority has always owned the 16-acre World Trade Center land, both theold WTC and thenew WTC. However, some of the office space on the old complex and in the new one have been leased, managed, or built bySilverstein Properties, notablly3 World Trade Center (2018)[87] and 7 World Trade Center (1987 and2006 respectively).


Major projects by the Port Authority includeOne World Trade Center and other construction at theWorld Trade Center complex. Other projects include a new passenger terminal at JFK International Airport, and redevelopment of Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal B, and replacement of the Goethals Bridge.[88] The Port Authority also has plans to buy 340 new PATHcars and begin major expansion of Stewart International Airport.[88]
As owner of theWorld Trade Center complex, the Port Authority has worked since 2001 on plans for reconstruction of the site, along withSilverstein Properties, and theLower Manhattan Development Corporation. In 2006, the Port Authority reached a deal withLarry Silverstein, which ceded control ofOne World Trade Center to the Port Authority.[89] The deal gave Silverstein rights to build three towers along the eastern side of the site, including150 Greenwich Street,175 Greenwich Street, and200 Greenwich Street.[89] Also part of the plans was theWorld Trade Center Transportation Hub, which opened in March 2016 and replaced the temporary PATH station that opened in November 2003.[90]
The Port Authority began construction of a new terminal at Newark Airport in June 2017. The new facility will replace Terminal A and will open in 2022.[91] ThePATH'sNewark–World Trade Center train route is planned to be extended from its terminus atNewark Penn Station to a newNewark Liberty International Airport Station.[92][93] The PANYNJ announced in March 2023 that it was deferring funding for the Newark Airport extension to a future capital plan.[94]
Another Port Authority project involves redeveloping LaGuardia Airport, replacing three existing terminals with a single terminal.[95] Terminal B would be demolished and terminals C and D would be merged.[96][97] Some 2 miles (3.2 km) of additionaltaxiways are to be built, and transportation around the terminals would be reorganized.[95] The redevelopment is expected to cost $7.6 billion in total. Construction started in 2016, and the first part of the new terminal opened in 2021, with completion in 2026.[98] As part of the reconstruction, theAirTrain LGA people mover system was to have been built between the airport andWillets Point, Queens.[99] The AirTrain was supposed to start construction in 2020 and be completed by 2022,[98] but the project was canceled in March 2023 after several years of delays.[100]
The Port Authority is also planning to redevelop the entirety of John F. Kennedy International Airport, replacing four existing terminals with two new terminals at a cost of $11 billion. Roadway access, as well as train capacity on theAirTrain JFK, would be expanded.[101][102][103] Under the plan, the first gates would open in 2023, and the project would be complete in 2025.[104][105] Work on a new Terminal 1 began in 2022,[106] and work on Terminal 6 began in early 2023.[107] In addition, Terminal 4 was expanded.[108]
The Port Authority has its own police department. In 2001, the department employed approximately 4,000 police officers and supervisors who had full police status in the states ofNew York andNew Jersey.[109]
Turner said. "You may shut the f--- up and not tell me when I may take my kid and her friends, who are PhD students from MIT and Yale.
She dropped the F-bomb. She belittled police officers. And she flashed her Port Authority commissioner's badge.
The matter was also referred to the state Ethics Commission.
After 14 years near Union Square, the agency's headquarters have returned to a spot at the World Trade Center, where they had been from 1973 until Sept. 11, 2001.[...]the interim board room at 225 Park Avenue South, at East 18th Street.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Hudson Division Public Service Railway new jersey.