The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Fort Lee NJ, drivers who think they can skip out on paying tolls at New York and New Jersey crossings might find themselves in more than just traffic jams this summer. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is ramping up efforts to crack down on toll cheats, with a significant increase in summonses and arrests since the beginning of 2024.
Continue reading Port Authority Cracks Down on Toll Evaders with Increased Summonses and Arrests
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Newark NJ, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced its commercial airports continued seeing a surge in passenger volume, recording the busiest first four months of the year ever. The milestone was capped by the second-busiest busiest April of all time. Likewise, the Port of New York and New Jersey recorded its fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth, surpassing 700,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in April. Traffic volume at bridges and tunnels maintained a robust pace, while passenger volume at the PATH commuter rail continued to grow above 2023 levels, holding steady at roughly 70 percent or pre-COVID ridership.
Continue reading Tri-state Airports See Surge in Passenger Volume
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Newark NJ, Newark Liberty International Airport recently hosted 170 puppies and more than 200 volunteers in Terminal C as part of a special program to train the next generation of puppies for their future roles as guide dogs to assist visually impaired travelers in navigating through airports. The Port Authority, along with representatives from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and United Airlines, teamed with volunteers from The Seeing Eye®, a New Jersey-based national non-profit organization that helps blind and visually impaired people achieve enhanced independence and mobility through the use of guide dogs, for two trainings on May 6 and 13.
Continue reading NEWARK LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WELCOMES 170 DOGS
Fort Lee NJ, as travelers pack up their cars and gear up for the upcoming July Fourth holiday weekend, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey remains committed to providing safe passage for all travelers throughout the region.
Continue reading PORT AUTHORITY WILL BE CONDUCTING DWI CHECKPOINTS DURING JULY FOURTH WEEKEND
JFK and EWR Customers Advised to Use Mass Transit and the AirTrain System
LGA Customers Advised to Use the Free Q70 MTA Select-Bus Express Non-Stop Service from Subway to Terminals B, C and D
Additional MTA Bus Routes to LGA Include Q47, Q48, Q72, and M60
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Mahwah NJ, Township of Mahwah aircraft noise complaints spiral . The amount of low flying aircraft over Mahwah appears to have increased significantly in recent months, according to the Township it is important for residents to make formal complaints via the web portal or via phone ~ 1-800-225-1071. Some Residents say the flights are making their houses shake.
Continue reading Noise Complaints Spiral as Aircraft Traffic Increases Over Mahwah
AirTrain Newark Suspended Saturday Night to Sunday Morning for Routine Maintenance
Reminder: Face Coverings Continue to Be Required in All Port Authority Facilities, Including Airports, Midtown Bus Terminal and on AirTrain
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Hoboken NJ, For the week of August 27 to September 2, 2021, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey encourages all travelers who use the agency’s facilities to plan ahead and consider additional travel time due to the following:
LANE CLOSURES IN EFFECT
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New York NY, the Federal Aviation Administration has approved the LaGuardia AirTrain clearing the way to provide a reliable, predictable and non-polluting rail link to LaGuardia Airport.
Port Authority Executive Director said in a statement ,”We thank the FAA for conducting an exhaustive and independent environmental review that benefited from extensive input and engagement from the public and the local community during the two-year long EIS process. LaGuardia Airport is the only major airport on the East Coast without a rail mass transit link, and it is way past time for that embarrassment to end. ”
Continue reading Federal Aviation Administration Approves the LaGuardia AirTrain
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New York NY, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today unveiled a new plan for the proposed Midtown Bus Terminal project which will completely reimagine the world’s busiest bus terminal and its connection to the Lincoln Tunnel. The new plan laid out in the Port Authority’s final scoping document released today provides for a nearly 40 percent increase in transit rider capacity while responding to the needs of the local community. The new terminal will be designed to serve 100 percent electric bus fleets and will feature cutting-edge technology to manage and speed bus movements in the terminal – using both autonomous vehicle technology and AI-aided traffic management. The release of the Port Authority’s final scoping document describing the new plan based on an extensive public consultation sets the stage for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to begin the federal environmental review process consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and FTA regulations.
Continue reading PORT AUTHORITY UNVEILS PLAN FOR 42nd STREET BUS TERMINAL REPLACEMENT
In Third Quarter, Passenger Volumes Down 84 Percent at JFK, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia Airports from 2019
Third Quarter PATH Ridership Down 81 Percent from 2019; in Third Quarter, Bridges and Tunnels Traffic Decreased 14 Percent from Third Quarter 2019
Weekly Volumes for October 2020 Show Declines Continue into Fourth Quarter
Continue reading PORT AUTHORITY REPORTS DRAMATIC DECLINE IN VOLUMES DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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Fort Lee NJ, in a letter Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton told New York and New Jersey congressional representatives that the agency needed nearly $2 billion in aid following sharp revenue declines in March across its various transportation assets. Cotton said vehicle traffic on the bi-state agency’s crossings is down 22% compared to a year ago while ridership on the PATH rail transit has dropped 75%.
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Fort Lee NJ, Drivers between New York and New Jersey will not be able to pay with cash going forward. The Port Authority announced , “All Port Authority Crossings to NY now have cashless tolling. EZ Pass or tolls by mail. Vehicles should keep moving through the toll plaza at safe speeds.”
The shift to electronic toll collection at the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel starting 9 p.m. on Sunday. License plate images will be captured for drivers without E-ZPass and bills will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Discount programs, including carpool rates, will also be temporarily suspended.
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Fort lee NJ , Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Port Authority released the following statement :
“As Governor Cuomo announced today, Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Mr. Cotton is currently asymptomatic and has self-quarantined at his home while maintaining a full schedule. Any staff members who have had close contact with him in recent days are also working from home as they follow the guidelines and protocols put in place by the New York State Department of Health.”
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Fort Lee NJ, Previously approved toll increase on agency bridges and tunnels to take effect at 3 a.m. Sunday, January 5.
Effective at 3 a.m. Sunday, January 5, the bridge and tunnel cash and toll by mail rate for cars during all hours will increase from $15 to $16. The E-ZPass peak discount for cars will be reduced from $2.50 to $2.25 and the E-ZPass off-peak discount will be reduced from $4.50 to $4.25. The New York/New Jersey Staten Island Bridges Discount Plan, which allows for toll discounts on the three Port Authority bridges that connect New Jersey with Staten Island and is available to any E-ZPass account holder, will not change. The discount provides for a toll of $6.88. The Carpool Discount for the three trans-Hudson crossings – the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland tunnels – will continue until those crossings migrate to cashless tolling operations.
Lanes will be closed this weekend and/or next week at the Goethals Bridge, George Washington Bridge and Holland Tunnel for ongoing construction and repair projects.
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Ridgewood NJ, A record of more than 20 million travelers are projected to use the agency’s airports, tunnels, bridges and PATH system during the upcoming 16-day Christmas/New Year’s holiday season. To accommodate the projected heavy volume, the agency has put measures in place, including a full complement of staff – customer service representatives at its major airports and police officers at all facilities and toll collectors at its tunnels and bridges – to make the holiday trip as smooth as possible.
