Port Authority of NY & NJ
4 World Trade Center
150 Greenwich St. 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10007
Dear Members of the Board,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments.
Regional Plan Association (RPA) is a 103-year-old civic, non-profit organization, focused on supporting the health, equity, sustainability, and prosperity of the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut region. RPA believes that investing in our regional transportation system is critical to ensuring the continued growth and resiliency of our people, places, and economy. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) delivered on the promises of the 2017-2025 Capital Plan to strengthen and transform assets critical to our transportation systems, and RPA supports the proposed 2026-2035 Capital Plan as the next step to completing this generational transformation.
Through the 2017-2025 Capital Plan, PANYNJ has invested $37 Billion to complete and initiate transformative projects across airports, tunnels, bridges, terminals, seaport, PATH and WTC. RPA congratulates PANYNJ on the success of many impactful projects aligned with RPA’s priorities for the region, such as raising the Bayonne Bridge to maintain port competitiveness and efficiency, breaking ground on the Midtown Bus Terminal, and advancing the $430 Million PATH Forward program, which improved signal systems, resiliency, and capacity. In addition to congratulating PANYNJ, RPA would like to recognize the important efforts of local advocates in bringing about the delivery of PATH Forward projects.
Continued investment in regional infrastructure is critical to the efficient movement of people and goods throughout our region. In particular, RPA strongly supports the following elements of the PANYNJ 2026-2035 Capital Plan:
An historic $2.7 Billion investment in the Gateway Program, which will leverage federal funds to address the nation’s most vital transit project
One of the largest service increases in PATH history, including expanded PATH rush-hour and weekend service starting in 2026 and with full service increases in place by 2027
$11 Billion in dedicated funding to transform the Midtown Bus Terminal to a best-in-class facility
A combination of more than $50 Billion in public and private investment to bring three of our region’s major airports from ‘worst to first’ (by 2035)
More than $1.2 Billion in investment to update and expand container terminal operations and infrastructure
A transparent, multi-pronged strategy for future revenue generation, including increases in off-peak Hudson River crossings for automobiles and motorcycles, and increasing the fees for hiring rides from the airports. In not raising the fees for trucks, RPA recognizes the need to maintain their pricing in order to incentivize freight movements outside of peak hours.
As proposed, the 2026-2035 Capital Plan represents a transformational $45 Billion investment in Port Authority assets, further supporting our region’s efforts towards sustainability, economic prosperity, and global competitiveness. RPA strongly recommends the plan for approval by the PANYNJ board.
For future PANYNJ capital plans, RPA would support continued diversity in funding sources, especially user fees and value recapture. Possible revenue sources which should be considered would include tolling all rubber-tire vehicles at the airports (not just hired cars) and implementing value capture mechanisms in the communities served by improved PATH service. Additionally, future PANYNJ capital plans should provide additional clarity on the alignment with and connection to other large scale regional investments, such as the Gateway Program, the transformation of New York Penn Station, and New York City’s Blue Highway program.
Thank you,
Tiffany-Ann Taylor
Vice President for Transportation
