At the beginning of each year, people often make resolutions about what they hope they will accomplish
over the next 12 months. At the end of the year, if they feel game, they review their “wish list” with the
“got it done” list. It is not always pretty. But at the Port Authority, it is a thing of beauty.
What the Port Authority says it is going to do, it does. It isn’t hard when you collaborate every day with
the Agency’s extraordinary 8,000-person Port Authority workforce and the leadership of the 23 unions
that represent the majority of its employees. Or when you collaborate with the Agency’s private and
public partners, elected and public officials in two states, and the public the Port Authority serves.
And while I have thanked him privately and publicly many times, for the last time in 2025, I note the
unique collaboration between me and my extraordinary partner at the Port Authority, Executive
Director Rick Cotton, who will retire in January. When we joined the Port Authority at the same time, we
understood we had to deliver results – the people of this region deserved nothing less than best-in-class
infrastructure.
The Port Authority was created in 1921 to do big things, ambitious things – to connect the region and
fuel the growth of our region. It did it before, and it could do it again. And it has.
As 2025 comes to a close, I am saddened to see Rick Cotton retire, but I am excited to welcome a new
executive director, Kathryn Garcia, in early 2026.
For the Port Authority, 2025 has been a year of big ambitions and a year of even bigger
accomplishments. Below is a brief snapshot of the Port Authority’s 2025 achievements.
Air
The Port Authority’s three major airports continued to break records for passenger volumes, and despite
the construction challenges at John F. Kennedy International Airport as its $19 billion, total
transformation continued, traffic was effectively managed without major impact on airport operations.
The transformation of Newark Liberty International Airport continued with two major groundbreakings
in 2025: A new $3.5 billion Newark AirTrain replacement, a critical step in envisioning the historic
Newark Vision Plan; and the NEC Station Access project, which will connect the communities of
Elizabeth and Newark to the AirTrain, Amtrak, and NJ Transit for the first time.
LaGuardia Airport’s transformation from “worst to best” airport in the nation was once again recognized
by leading airport rating organizations and industry professionals, most notably by Forbes Travel Guide’s
designation of Best Airport in the United States for the second consecutive year!
Land
Replacing the existing, outdated Midtown Bus Terminal had bedeviled the Port Authority, public and
community leaders, and commuters for more than a decade. In 2025, the Port Authority broke ground
on the $11 billion Midtown Bus Terminal replacement – an extraordinary achievement! Contracts for
phase one of the construction process have been awarded, and work is underway. That construction is
underway and now duly progressing is a feat that cannot be understated.
1At the George Washington Bridge, the $2 billion Restore the George program reached a major milestone
in March 2025 with the final replacement of all 592 of the bridge’s suspender ropes.
The World Trade Center campus continued to grow as a vibrant cultural and community center in lower
Manhattan, with a robust program of activations and events, well-attended sporting event watch
parties, public art installations and the return of the popular Smorgasburg. It is truly a gem of lower
Manhattan.
Rail
At PATH, where ridership levels are now at their highest since the onset of the pandemic, the agency
continued to make critical improvements across the system, most notably at Hoboken Station, where
critical work was completed as part of the $430 million PATH Forward program. Additionally, advancing
the Port Authority’s commitment to making PATH more accessible, PATH launched a riders-with-
disabilities reduced fare program. And this month, PATH introduced a new TAPP card and new vending
machines in advance of the MTA’s elimination of MetroCards.
Sea
The Port of New York and New Jersey continued to hold its position as the second busiest seaport for
loaded cargo in the nation – even reaching the number one spot some months of 2025. This year, the
agency first announced a landmark 33-year lease extension with APM terminals, which will include
major investments and capacity enhancements by APM, setting the framework for future terminal
agreements that will ensure that the Seaport will continue to meet the challenges of rising cargo
volumes. And just this month, the agency announced a similar 33-year lease extension with Maher
Terminals, the largest and busiest of the port’s five container terminals.
Agencywide
Across the agency, the Port Authority continued to advance important initiatives, while also remaining
committed to its core values.
Throughout 2025, the agency continued to provide fair and equitable opportunities for competition to
local and diverse businesses.
The Port Authority remains on track to meet the agency’s 2025 greenhouse gas emission reduction goal
of 35 percent by the end of this year – a vital step in reaching the net-zero goal by 2050.
On safety and security, in 2025 the agency continued to invest at record levels in security capabilities,
and strengthened our cybersecurity posture, promoting a culture of vigilance as threats evolve. The Port
Authority Police Department also graduated a new Academy Class, and the agency continues to
effectively deliver safe and secure facilities across the region.
But the most extraordinary achievement came at the end of the year: the 2026-2035 Capital Plan. This
historic plan, approved by the Board this month, builds off the momentum of the 2017-2025 Capital
Plan, and lays the framework for a new decade of unmatched achievements, including: the
advancement of the $11 billion Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement project, the advancement of the
Newark Vision Plan, which includes a new AirTrain and new Terminal B, and the completion of the $19
billion transformation of JFK into a world-class, 21st
-century aviation hub.
As I noted above, this is but a snapshot of what was achieved in 2025. It was indeed an extraordinary
year.
2I would be remiss if I did not say how grateful I am for Governor Phil Murphy’s leadership these past
eight years. Governor Murphy has been a stalwart supporter of all the Port Authority has done.
I look forward to working with our new governor, Mikie Sherrill, who already has made clear her strong
commitment to the mission of the Port Authority.
The Port Authority is a partnership of two great states, and I am grateful for the collaborative leadership
of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
I remain humbled to serve as the Chairman of the Port Authority and truly honored to have the trust of
so many dedicated individuals who share the same commitment to making the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey the great agency it is.
What the Port Authority set out to accomplish at the beginning of 2025, it did. The Port Authority “got it
done.” And as 2026 is about to begin, I say what I have each New Year’s Day: the best is yet to come.
Kevin J. O’Toole is the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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