Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is a bi-state agency jointly owned by the State of New York and the State of New Jersey. It is not a private corporation, nor is it owned by the federal government or the cities of New York or Newark.
The Port Authority is administered by a Board of Commissioners (also called Port Commissioners) consisting of 12 members:
Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms and serve without salary (reimbursed for expenses). The Board sets policy, approves budgets, and appoints the Executive Director, who manages day-to-day operations.
| Category | Major Facilities |
|---|---|
| Airports | JFK, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Stewart, Teterboro |
| Crossings | George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge, Outerbridge Crossing |
| Port Facilities | Port Newark/Elizabeth Marine Terminal, Brooklyn Port Authority Marine Terminal, Howland Hook, Auto Marine Terminal |
| Transit | PATH rail system (NYC–NJ), AirTrain JFK, AirTrain Newark |
| Real Estate | World Trade Center campus, Teleport (Staten Island), Bathgate Industrial Park |
A critical distinction: The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either state. It is financially self-sustaining, funded entirely by:
Created in 1921 by an interstate compact approved by Congress, the Port Authority was designed to manage the shared harbor and transportation infrastructure of the New York–New Jersey metropolitan region as a single economic unit—avoiding the fragmentation and rivalry that plagued earlier private and municipal operations.
While independent, PANYNJ is subject to oversight by both state legislatures, the NY/NJ Comptrollers, and the bi-state Port Authority Oversight Commission (established 2014). Commissioners can be removed by their appointing governor.
In short: The people of New York and New Jersey, through their elected governors and legislatures, own the Port Authority. It operates as a public-benefit corporation—publicly owned, revenue-funded, governing the region's critical transportation and trade gateways.