Port Authority Prepared for More Than 7 Million Labor Day Weekend Travelers

On Aug 31, 2018

The Port Authority expects to accommodate the more than 7 million people who will travel through its transportation facilities by air, car and rail during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, the unofficial end of the summer season.

To ensure travelers have a safe, enjoyable trip to and from their destination during the holiday weekend, the Port Authority has taken proactive measures at all its facilities. They include: a full complement of Customer Care Representatives and the ability for travelers to make online parking reservations; a full complement of toll collectors and police at bridges and tunnels to expedite traffic; and website alerts and Twitter updates about current facility conditions as needed.

To provide real-time sharing of traffic data, the Port Authority also has a data sharing partnership with Waze, a free crowdsourced traffic and navigation app.  The Port Authority will feed information on lane closures, traffic incidents and other events to the Waze platform in real time.

Airports

From Thursday, August 30, through Tuesday, September 4, the Port Authority forecasts more than 2.2 million passengers will use the Port Authority’s airports – a 2.6 percent increase from last year’s Labor Day weekend period.

The Port Authority projects the following numbers of airline passengers during that period: More than 1 million passengers at John F. Kennedy International Airport; approximately 724,000 passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport; approximately 459,000 passengers at LaGuardia Airport; and more than 12,500 passengers at New York Stewart International Airport.

In partnership with the MTA, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, August 31, through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 3, the LaGuardia Link Q70 bus will be operating free of charge to encourage customers to use mass transit rather than drive to and from LaGuardia Airport.

Given ongoing redevelopment-related construction at LaGuardia, travelers destined for that airport should plan ahead and check www.laguardiaairport.com for tips and the latest information on parking, mass transit and ground transportation alternatives. At the airport, real-time shuttle bus arrival information for all routes (Blue, Green, Purple and Red) has been implemented at the terminal bus shelters. Also, monitors that provide information on New York City bus arrivals and taxi wait times have been installed throughout Terminal B to assist travelers in exiting the airport.

Travelers driving to JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty or New York Stewart airports can call ahead at 888-250-8277 for general parking information or can visit  www.parkintheairport.com to obtain parking rates and information, check on space availability or reserve a parking space.

In addition, passengers are encouraged to sign up for airport info alerts at www.airportinfoalerts.com. This free, mobile subscription service also notifies customers about weather delays, parking lot capacities and AirTrain service delays.

Tunnels, Bridges and Terminals

From Thursday, August 30, through Tuesday, September 4, the Port Authority projects that approximately 4.1 million vehicles will cross the George Washington Bridge, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel.  With traffic volume expected to be higher than normal, motorists are encouraged to allow extra time to reach their destination.

On Friday, August 31, the Bayonne Bridge will open at 5 a.m. and remain open through the weekend until it closes again for regularly scheduled construction on Tuesday, September 4, at 9 p.m.

All construction on Port Authority bridges and tunnels, except for emergency work, will be suspended for the holiday weekend from Friday, August 31, through Tuesday morning, September 4.

To minimize congestion, commuters are encouraged to use mass transit whenever possible. Travelers using the Port Authority Bus Terminal or George Washington Bridge Bus Station should allow extra time, purchase bus tickets in advance and anticipate longer lines than usual.

To receive real time traffic updates, travelers should register for Bridge and Tunnel Alerts at www.paalerts.com, call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NJ.org.  Motorists also can receive alerts directly to their cell phones or e-mail accounts.

PATH

The Port Authority projects that approximately one million travelers will use the PATH system during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

On Friday, August 31, PATH will supplement existing service, as needed, to accommodate those who may leave work early for the holiday weekend. Over the weekend, PATH will operate on normal Saturday and Sunday schedules. On Labor Day, September 3, PATH will operate on a Saturday schedule.  PATH will resume normal weekday service on Tuesday, September 4.

PATH’s weekend outage program to complete federally mandated safety improvements will be suspended during the Labor Day weekend, and all PATH stations and service lines will be in operation.

For up-to-date service information, riders are encouraged to follow PATHAlerts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PATHAlerts. Riders also can sign up for alerts through www.PATHAlerts.com for up-to-date bulletins on service changes.

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