Everybody’s got to get somewhere in New Jersey, and now the region’s transportation system is more bustling than ever, according to data released by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Newark Liberty International Airport saw a 6 percent jump in passengers in 2018. In fact, the four airports serving the New York region saw a record high in passengers last year, transporting 137.9 million tourists, families and workers.
The Port Authority already has plans to accommodate the new highs at Newark, often named as one of the worst airports in the nation for delays. It broke ground on a planned new Terminal One in October to replace Terminal A.
Meanwhile on the ground, PATH handled 81.7 million passengers in 2018, the second-highest year on record behind 2017. That year, the Port Authority gave 1.2 million NJ Transit passengers cross-ticket honoring while NJ Transit repaired New York Penn Station.
Decided to hit the road instead? You’re not getting away from the traffic. Goethals Bridge had record traffic of 16.6 million eastbound vehicles. The Port Authority opened a new Goethals Bridge last May. The Port Authority said it also reached record E-ZPass participation at its crossings in 2018, with nearly 87 percent of all tolls being paid with E-ZPass.
Even inanimate objects can’t beat the crowd. The Port of New York and New Jersey handled a record high in container cargo in 2018, much of that attributed to the raising of the Bayonne Bridge roadway to allow larger ships to come to Port Newark and Port Elizabeth.
“Our airports, tunnels, bridges, terminals, PATH and seaport are prime gateways and economic engines in the region, and we must aggressively move forward to ensure that these facilities continue to handle record growth well into the future,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.
During the next decade, he said a $32 billion capital program will fund improvements to the airports, bridges and other transportation assets.
Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com.Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.