Port Newark, Others In NJ/NY Were Busiest In Nation For August

NEWARK, NJ — The busiest seaport in the nation was located in the Newark-New York City region last month, officials announced Friday.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, more cargo came in and out of its terminals than any other system in the United States during August. Read More: 'Tsunami Of Freight' Came Back To New Jersey After Pandemic Lockdowns Ended

While passenger volumes still haven’t completely returned to pre-pandemic levels, the port system – which encompasses several container terminals in both states, including Port Newark – has continued to steadily grow throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Officials said that 24.1 percent more total cargo moved through the port in August 2022 as compared to the volume handled during August 2019, making last month the busiest August in the port’s history.

The port’s August numbers were up 8.6 percent from July, officials said. Overall, 843,191 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were moved in August – the fourth-busiest month in the agency’s history.

According to the Port Authority’s website, the Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) occupies 272 acres, handling more than 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent containers annually. The PNCT secured a long-term extension of its lease agreement with the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey through 2050.

• See related article: Newark Starts Planning For Future Of Port-Industrial District
• See related article: $44M Upgrade For Busy Roadway Between Port Newark, Elizabeth

AIRPORTS, CROSSINGS, PATH

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released the following data about its other facilities on Friday.

Airports

In August 2022, the Port Authority’s airports handled a total of 12.5 million passengers, which was 94 percent of pre-COVID August 2019 volumes. Airport passenger volumes increased 3 percent from July 2022, when the airport served 12.2 million passengers.

Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals (TB&T)

In August 2022, the Port Authority’s four bridges and two tunnels handled a total of 10.8 million eastbound vehicles, which was similar compared to the pre-pandemic August 2019 level of 11 million vehicles. August 2022 volumes increased less than 1 percent over the previous month’s volumes when comparing average daily traffic. Automobile traffic was similar to July 2022, while truck traffic increased 9.4 percent.

PATH

PATH reported 3.8 million riders in August 2022, which was 53.8 percent of PATH’s total ridership in pre-pandemic August 2019. Compared to July 2022, August 2022 total ridership increased by 5.6 percent.

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