Everything about The Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey totally explained
The
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (
PANYNJ) is a bi-state
port district, established in 1921 (as the
Port of New York Authority) through 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 square mile (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.
The Port Authority operates the
Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, which handled the third largest amount of shipping of all ports in the United States, in 2004. The Port Authority also operates
Hudson River crossings, including the
Holland Tunnel,
Lincoln Tunnel, and
George Washington Bridge connecting
New Jersey with
Manhattan, and three crossings that connect New Jersey with
Staten Island. The
Port Authority Bus Terminal and the
PATH rail system are also run by the Port Authority, as are
LaGuardia,
JFK,
Newark Liberty International Airport,
Teterboro Airport and
Stewart International Airport located near
Newburgh, New York, in the southern Hudson Valley, 55 miles (88.5 km) north of New York City.. The agency has its own 1,600-member
Port Authority 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 NYCDOT; 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.
History
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. In 1916, New Jersey launched a lawsuit against New York over issues of rail freight, with the
Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) issuing an order that the two states work together, subordinating their own interests to the public interest. 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. The Port of New York Authority was established on
April 30,
1921, through an interstate compact between the states of
New Jersey and
New York. This was the first such agency in the
United States, created under a provision in the
Constitution of the United States permitting
interstate compacts. Throughout its history, there have also been concerns about democratic
accountability, or lack thereof at the Port Authority. Construction of both bridges was completed in 1928. The
Bayonne Bridge, opened in 1931, was built across the
Kill van Kull, connecting
Staten Island with
Bayonne, New Jersey.
Construction began in 1927 on the
George Washington Bridge, linking the northern part of
Manhattan with
Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Port Authority chief engineer,
Othmar H. Ammann, overseeing the project. The bridge was completed in October 1931, ahead of schedule and well under the estimated costs. This efficiency exhibited by the Port Authority impressed President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used this as a model in creating the
Tennessee Valley Authority and other such entities. The city was looking to hand the airports over to a
public authority, possibly to
Robert 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 operate
La Guardia Airport (La Guardia Field),
John F. Kennedy International Airport (Idlewild Airport), and
Floyd Bennett Field. The Port Authority transformed the airports into fee-generating facilities, adding stores and restaurants. When the World Trade Center twin towers were completed, the total costs to the Port Authority had reached $900 million. The buildings were dedicated on
April 4,
1973, with Tobin, who had resigned the year before, absent from the ceremonies.
Post-Tobin era
In 1972,
William Ronan was chosen to succeed Austin Tobin as Executive Director of the Port Authority. Also in 1972, the PR name of the agency was changed to
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (but the agency failed to secure the consent of Congress from whom it received its charter), along with structural changes implemented.
In the 1990s, the Port Authority faced controversy, with Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani alleging mismanagement at the Port Authority. He criticized the Port Authority for shifting airport revenues to support
PATH service and other projects in New Jersey. Giuliani went as far as proposing to break up the Port Authority, with New York Governor
George Pataki also suggesting a break-up.
September 11, 2001 attacks
The terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, and the subsequent collapse of the
World Trade Center buildings had an immense impact on the Port Authority. With Port Authority's headquarters located in 1 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. The Port Authority lost a total of 84 employees, including 37 Port Authority Police Officers, its Executive Director,
Neil D. Levin, and police superintendent,
Fred V. Morrone. In rescue efforts following the collapse, two Port Authority police officers,
John McLoughlin and
Will Jimeno, were pulled out alive after spending nearly 24 hours beneath 30 feet of rubble. Their rescue was later portrayed in the
Oliver Stone film,
World Trade Center.
Governance
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, who serve overlapping six-year terms without pay.
Facilities
[[Image:Usports tonnage.svg|left|thumb|The PANYNJ handles the third largest amount of American shipping, in tonnage, with only
Houston and
South Louisiana handling more. As of 2004, Port Authority seaports handle the third largest amount of shipping of all U.S. ports, as measured in tonnage. The Port Authority also has plans to buy 340 new PATH
rail cars and begin major expansion of Stewart International Airport. The deal gave Silverstein rights to build three towers along the eastern side of the site, including
150 Greenwich Street,
175 Greenwich Street, and
200 Greenwich Street.
Also part of the plans, is the
World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which will replace the temporary PATH station that opened in November 2003.
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