Rick Cotton will step down at Port Authority

Rick Cotton will step down as executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in January, ending a tenure of 8 ½ years, the longest since Austin J. Tobin retired in 1972 and the agency rebranded as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“I am thankful to Rick Cotton for his service to the Port Authority and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.  “I am grateful for Rick’s partnership over the past eight years, and for his leadership on several transformative transportation and infrastructure projects that will benefit our region for decades to come.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will select Cotton’s replacement.  By tradition, the chair of the bistate agency comes from New Jersey and the executive director from New York.

“Rick has been the driving force behind the Port Authority’s resurgence as a high-performing, modern public agency,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “He delivered once-in-a-generation projects that transformed critical transportation assets, strengthened the region’s economy, and enhanced connections across New York and New Jersey. And his vision and discipline are embedded in the capital plan that will guide our next decade. Over 40 years in public service, I have never met a more dedicated, disciplined, and focused executive. I am lucky to have forged a strong professional and personal relationship with Rick.”

Working with New Jersey, Cotton has led renovations at Newark Liberty International Airport, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and modernized the PATH system.

Cotton said it was “simply time to hand over the reins.”

“From the moment Chairman O’Toole and I stepped into these roles in 2017, we shared a simple conviction: this region deserves world-class infrastructure equal to its people and its promise. Working in partnership across two states, political lines, and every corner of this agency, we have made historic progress toward that goal. Together, we transformed our airports from appalling laughingstocks into award-winning, best-in-class gateways, and jumpstarted the Midtown Bus Terminal, which had languished for decades,” Cotton said.  “The foundation is now set for future generations to keep building a stronger, more connected region.

This story was updated at 9:51 AM with comment from Cotton and O’Toole.