Port Authority Prepares for More Than Six Million Travelers

On Aug 30, 2019

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is prepared to accommodate the more than six million people expected to 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 destinations during the holiday weekend, the Port Authority is taking proactive measures at all its facilities.  These steps include a free LaGuardia Link Q70 bus, a full complement of customer care representatives at its airports, traveler access to online parking reservations and website alerts and Twitter updates on current conditions, as well as a full complement of toll collectors and police at bridges and tunnels to facilitate traffic flow.

To provide real-time sharing of traffic data, the Port Authority also has a data-sharing partnership with Waze, the free crowdsourced traffic and navigation app. The Port Authority will be feeding information on lane closures, traffic incidents and other events to the Waze platform in real time. In addition, the Port Authority will provide updates on conditions at its facilities through e-alerts, Twitter and other social media platforms.

Airports

From Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, the Port Authority forecasts more than 1.9 million passengers using the Port Authority’s airports – a projected 1.8% increase compared to the same period during last year’s Labor Day weekend.

More than 900,000 passengers are expected to travel through John F. Kennedy International Airport, with about  600,000 passengers using Newark Liberty International Airport, approximately 378,000 passengers at LaGuardia Airport, and more than 12,000 passengers at New York Stewart International Airport.

Continuing its partnership with the MTA, the LaGuardia Link Q70 bus will be free through Sept. 2. The Port Authority encourages customers to use mass transit rather than driving to and from LaGuardia Airport.

Given ongoing redevelopment-related construction and traffic volumes at LaGuardia, travelers using LaGuardia this weekend are urged to plan and leave extra time to get to the airport, through security and to their gate.  Please check www.laguardiaairport.com for tips and the latest information on parking, mass transit and ground transportation alternatives.

At LaGuardia, real-time shuttle bus arrival information for all routes (Blue, Green, Purple and Red) is available at the terminal bus shelters.

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 https://www.panynj.gov/airports/ 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 Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, the Port Authority projects that approximately 3.5 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. All construction on Port Authority bridges and tunnels, except for emergency work, will be suspended from 5 a.m. Aug. 30 through 5 a.m. Sept. 3.

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 expects that approximately 785,000 travelers will use the PATH system over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

On Aug. 30, 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 2, PATH will operate on a Sunday schedule. PATH will resume normal weekday service on Sept. 3.PATH’s weekend outage program to complete necessary Superstorm Sandy tunnel repairs 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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