the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fort Lee NJ, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced that nearly 6.4 million travelers are expected to use its airports and vehicular crossings during the 6-day peak travel period from Thursday, May 23 to Tuesday, May 28. The total would be a record for the Memorial Day travel period.
The agency estimates that approximately 4.2 million will use its bridges and tunnels over the holiday period, consistent with volume from the same period in 2023. To accommodate anticipated significant volume, all ongoing repairs and construction projects at its crossings will be suspended from 5 a.m. Friday, May 24, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 28. A separate travel advisory for any lane closures or service changes for the remainder of that week will be issued next week.
The agency anticipates nearly 2.2 million passengers will travel through John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and New York-Stewart International airports from Thursday through Tuesday, an increase of about 0.2 percent from the all-time high seen during same period in 2023. Friday and Monday are anticipated to be the busiest days at the airports. International seat capacity is expected to be 7 percent higher than the same period in 2023, reflecting a continued resurgence and interest in international travel.
The Port Authority strongly encourages all travelers to plan ahead and allow for additional travel time. Travelers should expect longer wait times due to higher passenger volume and ongoing construction. All passengers on domestic flights should arrive to the airport at least two hours in advance of their departure time and passengers on international flights should arrive at the airports at least three hours in advance of their departure times. Travelers are strongly advised to check the Port Authority’s air travel tips for information on preparing for their trips, including how to find real-time wait time information for TSA security lines, information on parking lot availability, AirTrain maps and schedules, directions for public transit and for-hire vehicle information.
Due to an expected increase in air travelers during the holiday, the Port Authority strongly encourages customers to pre-book parking or to use alternate transportation modes to the airports including mass transit, for-hire-vehicles and taxis as on-airport parking facilities at John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports may be unavailable or full for an extended period of time.
All travelers who plan to use the Port Authority’s facilities should note the following service changes that will be in effect from Thursday, May 23, to Tuesday, May 28, and allow for additional travel time:
- Visit the Port Authority’s travel tips & information page for help preparing for an upcoming trip by air, including how to check for parking availability or pre-book parking at the Port Authority’s airports.
- With parking lots at all airports expected to be full, customers who have not pre-booked parking in advance are strongly encouraged to take mass transit or other means of transportation getting to the airport.
- Until further notice, the for-hire vehicle pick-up location at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 5 will be relocated to Terminal 7’s Orange Garage roof due to airport redevelopment construction. Passengers seeking for-hire vehicle service from Terminal 5 should take AirTrain JFK to Terminal 7 for the Orange Garage. Passengers arriving to Terminal 5 will continue to be dropped off at the Terminal 5 frontage. Signage has been installed to direct passengers to pick-up locations. More details can be found here.
- Until further notice, the taxi stand at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 5 has been relocated to the ground level of Terminal 5’s Yellow Parking Garage. Passengers seeking taxi transportation from Terminal 5 are directed to the Yellow Garage via the skywalk on the fifth floor, where passengers may access the new taxi stand using elevators or stairs. Wayfinding signage has been installed along the pedestrian route.
- Until further notice, parking on level 1 of John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Yellow Parking Lot at Terminal 5 is now dedicated for individuals with special needs or disabilities. For customer assistance, parking attendants are available on level 1. All other vehicles must park on levels 2 to 6. Premium Reserved Parking is available on level 5, which is easily accessible to Terminal 5 via the pedestrian skywalk. Electric vehicle charging is available on level 2. Plan ahead by checking parking availability and booking a parking spot in advance.
- As a reminder, all rental car companies serving Newark Liberty International Airport now operate out of the new consolidated rental car center that is co-located within the Parking A garage on levels 1 through 3. All rental transactions, including returns, take place at the new center. The facility is connected to Newark Liberty’s terminals B and C via AirTrain Newark, with a direct connection to Terminal A via a pedestrian bridge. Passengers exiting Terminal A can walk across the bridge to arrive on level two of the rental car facility. Drivers should follow “Rental Car Return” roadway signage. For more information, click here.
- As a reminder, peak period parking rates are now in effect at John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports. To manage on-airport parking demand, the Port Authority is urgently calling on air travelers to use mass transit and to pre-book parking spaces if they plan to travel to the airport by private car. Travelers who do not pre-book will be charged a peak period drive-up surcharge and may not be able to find a parking spot at the airport. To avoid paying a higher parking rate and guarantee a parking spot, travelers parking for longer than three hours are strongly encouraged to pre-book parking at least 24 hours in advance. For more information on the updated rates and how to guarantee a parking spot, click here.
- LaGuardia Link Q70 bus service is fare free year-round to encourage the use of public transit to and from LaGuardia Airport, as announced in April 2022 by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. For information on how to get to the airport via public transit, visit the MTA’s page on travel to LaGuardia Airport.
PATH
- On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, trains will operate on a Saturday schedule. For more information, including real-time train information, trip planning and PATH alerts, please visit www.panynj.gov/PATH.
- This weekend, PATH trains will make stops at the Grove St station in both directions. The Grove St station weekend bypass will resume after the holiday.
- Customers who use the PATH WTC station during overnights should use the street level entrances at Fulton Street or Vesey Street via the North Concourse in the 2 World Trade Center transit lobby. Oculus access is limited overnight from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to allow for enhanced cleaning and the safety and security of customers due to reduced traffic volumes. All other entrances will be closed. For updates on the WTC campus, click here.
- The 9 St and 23 St stations, normally closed from midnight to 5 a.m. for maintenance, will remain open during the overnight hours for the holiday weekend. The stations will resume overnight closures at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 28.[R1] [R2]
- For information on PATH service and train schedules, click here or download the PATH mobile app, RidePath.
I’m not going anywhere….
Don’t they anticipate this every year?