PANYNJ projects tackle sustainability

Port Authority of New York New Jersey (PANYNJ) road reconfiguration, parking expansion expected to reduce emissions.

Under normal circumstances, road and ramp upgrades at a maritime port might not receive a great deal of attention. The same goes for the expansion of a truck parking lot at an airport. But in the case of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), these improvements are part of a plan toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Last November, the Port Authority began construction on the $220 million Port Street Corridor Improvement project to redesign and rebuild Port Newark’s northern entrance, at an interchange which links to the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 78. The roadway configuration will provide truckers with a wider turning radius, which will promote safety—but it will also save time and reduce carbon emissions.

Also in November, PANYNJ approved a lease supplement with the operator of a truck parking facility at John F. Kennedy International Airport that will triple the number of the facility’s parking spaces. Under the revised lease, the JFK Airport Plaza will invest at least $14 million to demolish a building and make way for a larger truck parking facility—and access to more electric vehicle charging stations at the parking lot.

In both cases, these developments could offer incremental improvements to the flow of goods in and around their respective facilities—which is not trivial. And both projects, it is also worth noting, come to accommodate the higher volumes of cargo that the seaport and airport have been handling. (See accompanying story.)

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen firsthand the importance of keeping every link in our supply chain robust and ready,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

Both projects are also part of the Port Authority’s sustainability efforts, which include a variety of other measures, such as installing solar panels at Newark Liberty International Airport, acquiring electric cargo handling equipment at the port, and creating incentives for ocean vessels to reduce emissions while approaching the port.

Scope of the PANYNJ Efforts

The Port Authority’s initial emissions reduction efforts focused on reducing direct Scopes 1 and 2 emissions, which include sources such as Port Authority vehicles, buildings, and equipment and electricity purchased for Port Authority operations. In 2021, the Port Authority expanded those goals to include Scope 3 emissions—those dependent on tenants, customers, and employees.

The Port Newark ramp serves around 1,400 trucks per peak hour, as well as other vehicles. The interchange’s current configuration includes challenging hairpin turns. The enhancements will save 700,000 hours of travel time for port vehicles in the first year, which is expected to reduce annual fuel consumption by 70,000 gallons and annual carbon emissions by 750 tons.

The Port Newark project received a $44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program in July 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in 2028. The investment, said Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary in the U.S. Department of Transportation,…