On Tuesday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey broke ground on a new AirTrain Newark system to replace the outdated AirTrain that began operation in 1996 at Newark Liberty International Airport. As Chairman of the Port Authority, along with my extraordinary partner, Executive Director Rick Cotton, I am at many groundbreakings. This one was special.
This was special for several reasons, but as a lifelong New Jerseyan, at the top of the list was that it was in New Jersey. NJ State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz got it exactly right when she spoke at the groundbreaking about the “sense of place” Newark Liberty now has for travelers passing through the airport, particularly at the stunning new Terminal A. Her pride was infectious.
That theme was amplified by other elected officials – U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver, Assemblywoman Elina Pinto Marin, State Senator Renee Burgess – who also worked at Newark Liberty for almost 8 years, and Port Authority Commissioner and Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage. There was pride in the airport, pride in the people of the cities of Elizabeth and Newark, and pride that they were seeing opportunities not just being promised, but being kept.
I steal that last thought from Rick, who spoke eloquently about promises made and promised kept by the Port Authority: A new Terminal A, groundbreaking on the transformation of the Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station into a publicly accessible portal not just to the airport, but to NJ Transit and Amtrak connections into New York City, and groundbreaking on a new Midtown Bus Terminal.
By nature, I’m a smiler – I like smiling, I like enjoying the people around me. And as a public servant, nothing gives me more to smile about than helping foster opportunities for people in New Jersey, and for people living in underserved communities.
The new $3.5 billion AirTrain system will be impressive. It will have the capacity to handle 50,000 passengers per day. The current system only has a 33,000-passenger capacity. The new AirTrain will align with the new Terminal A and is being designed to connect in the future to a new Terminal B.
All of this is essential at an airport that in 1996 – when AirTrain was unveiled as only one of seven people-mover systems operating at any U.S. airport – served 30 million passengers and served nearly 50 million passengers last year.
The new AirTrain will be more spacious and comfortable. The stations will feature public art. And passengers will have one less pain-point in the travels for work or leisure.
All of this is smile-worthy. But while looking out at Tuesday’s attendees – professional associates, community stakeholders, former State House colleagues, and current colleagues at the Port Authority, including event speakers, Aviation Director Sarah McKeon and Senior Project Director Ralph D’Apuzzo (who, incidentally, worked as a structural engineer on parts of the original AirTrain Newark!) – I was struck by how important Newark Liberty International Airport and this new 21st century, world-class AirTrain Newark are to tens of thousands of people who will never board a plane.
Newark Liberty is an economic engine for the region, particularly for the people of Newark and Elizabeth. The soon-to-be accessible Newark Liberty International Airport Rail Station and this new AirTrain will connect people to jobs at the airport and around the region. The construction projects at both sites will create good-paying jobs, as well.
Too often, people don’t realize that investments in regional airports result in more than the creation of beautiful, efficient, and safe aviation hubs. These are also job hubs. These are job creators. These are places where people who live in surrounding neighborhoods can find economic opportunities that help them grow their families.
When the Port Authority delivers on its promise to create a new Newark Liberty International Airport, with a new AirTrain Newark, and a street-level, accessible rail link station to the airport and regional rail connections, it is helping these local workers to deliver on their promises to their families.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, an AirTrain passed on its elevated track. It has served its purpose well. But clearly, as Ralph D’Apuzzo said Tuesday, it is no longer the cutting-edge system it was in 1996.
Across our region, the Port Authority has been transforming our three major airports into 21st century facilities. The agency also is investing in its legacy assets – bridges, tunnels, ports, and PATH. And the new Midtown Bus Terminal will not only be transformative for commuters, but for the surrounding community with the creation of new public green space.
Yet, this past Tuesday was special because it was close to home, and because listening to the speakers at the event, I was reminded how impactful these projects are to the individuals and families who rely on them for jobs and opportunities.
As I said at the beginning, I go to a lot of groundbreakings, and, also, to a lot of ribbon cuttings. The latter is very satisfying, because as Rick said, a promise was made, and a promise was kept. But groundbreakings are special because they mark the tangible start of a project – shovels into the ground. It is like a gardener planting seeds, knowing in time something wonderful will become visible above the soil, something sustainable.
A new 2.5 mile-automated people mover system doesn’t seem like it will go a very long distance, but for the people who will use it, the journey will be limitless. No wonder, I was smiling.
Kevin J. O’Toole is the Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
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