NY Governor David Paterson and NJ Governor Jon Corzine sent a letter to the Transportation Secretary to voice their opposition to auctioning airport takeoff and landing times. The federal DOT has been trying to ease air congestion and feels spreading traffic more evenly through out the day will help everyone. Paterson and Corzine's letter says the plan is "misguided" and suggests that prices may rise 12% and that flights to smaller cities will be eliminated.......

The federal Department of Transportation has been looking to reduce congestion at airports, especially the NYC-area ones, but the Port Authority says auctioning departure and arrival slots would "have a severe negative impact” and “would be illegal without Congressional authorization.” The Port Authority said today it will deny any flights at JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark that are result of government auction. Hmm, that sounds like a good way to reduce congestion!......

The NYPD and Port Authority have finally worked out a plan on who will be in charge of the World Trade Center when it's developed (whenever that is), and it will be the NYPD. Mayor Bloomberg noted how the WTC is a big part of downtown security and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "Considering the history of this site and the ongoing threat of terrorism, it only makes sense that the N.Y.P.D. devote significant resources......

Yesterday the Port Authority unveiled designs from three architects competing to build a 1.3 million-square-foot skyscraper atop the dreary west side bus terminal's north wing. Officials say they’ll choose a winning design in the next couple months, and construction on the office tower could start next year, or maybe 2010; but what's the rush? Demand for office space in New York City isn’t exactly critical. The three designs are all for a tower that......

After months of discussions, Merrill Lynch has ended talks about moving its headquarters to one of the planned towers at the World Trade Center Site. The NY Times describes this as a "major setback for the Port Authority" and Silverstein Properties. Apparently "Concerns about stirring memories of 9/11 and the long-term noise and construction at the site" have been factors in the lack of strong interest in the site from companies. And developer Larry Silverstein......

While the Port Authority confirmed there will be many rebuilding delays at the World Trade Center site, executive director Christopher Ward told lower Manhattan residents the WTC memorial will be ready by 2011. The Daily News reports that at a Community Board 1 meeting, Ward said the memorial should be completed by the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but "accomplishing this will very difficult...You cannot build a memorial by forgetting its interconnection to the......

The former executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, George Marlin, is urging federal investigators to look into WTC rebuilding delays, since seven years after the WTC attacks, Ground Zero is mostly still a giant hole. Marlin is recommending that the feds look into the delays as beyond a matter of bureaucratic wrangling and incompetence, but an issue of criminal wrongdoing that could include waste, fraud, abuse, and the the......

Now that everyone knows rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center are over-budget and very delayed, Port Authority executive director Christopher Ward announced that the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub would undergo some changes. Namely, the hub's "wings" will no longer close and open. CityRoom notes Calatrava had previously said of the hub, "On a beautiful summer day, the building can work not as a greenhouse but as an open space,” on beautiful days and......

Now that the Port Authority doesn't want to give "unrealistic" or "phony" timelines about projects at Ground Zero, it's clear many projects won't be completed. Like the long-awaited 9/11 Memorial. Back in 2006, when construction started, it was thought the memorial would be completed by 2009, but then last fall, 2011 was given as a completion date, for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Now it's more likely it'll be done around 2013 or 2014. One......

Photograph of the World Trade Center site, taken by Joe Woolhead, courtesy of Silverstein Properties The Port Authority released its status report of sorts about World Trade Center rebuilding, and it's a document (PDF) that grimly forecasts lots of patience and money--along with the difficulties--needed to see the whole thing through and. PA Executive Director Christopher Ward prefaces his assessment with a note that highlights how previous costs and rebuilding timeline estimates were not......

Photograph of the World Trade Center site, taken by Joe Woolhead, courtesy of Silverstein Properties The Port Authority is planning on giving Governor David Paterson a report explaining the status of projects at the World Trade Center site, and one sources says it's the "grim truth." According to the Post, "massive cost overruns and unrealistic construction timetables" will be outlined--here's how some projects are shaping up: - 9/11 Memorial: "Scheduled for 2009, now 2011."......

Photograph of the World Trade Center site, taken by Joe Woolhead, courtesy of Silverstein Properties Frustrated with the lack of progress at Ground Zero, Governor David Paterson asked the Port Authority to provide a timeline of work, noting, "Any new schedule must reflect an aggressive but realistic approach to completing these vitally important projects." Now, a few weeks later, the Port Authority is ready to present a report on Ground Zero activity, but the......

Stewart International Airport in Orange County, NY is losing one of its two major carriers--AirTran. The airline cited rising fuel costs, which are affecting all carriers negatively, as the reason for its ending of routes from Stewart. AirTran carried 315,000 passengers over the last year to Florida destinations and its Atlanta hub. In combination with Jet Blue, AirTran has been critical to the near-tripling of passengers at the airport in 2007. The loss of one......

The Port Authority says that a Beijing-based real estate developer will lease around 200,000 square feet at Freedom Tower (building on the far left). The news is notable because the only two other tenants are government agencies - the U.S. General Services Administration and the state office of General Services. Vantone Real Estate Company is planning on taking the 64th to 69th floors to build the China Center, described as a $90 million "combination chamber......

The Port Authority has decided that the thousands of feral cats that roam JFK Airport's property are best dealt with by way of extermination. The PA claims the wild kitties are a danger to aircraft and passengers, so it has trapped them, with vague explanations of its intentions. It has now made those intentions explicit: The cats will be rounded up and turned over to animal shelters, and since feral cats are unadoptable, this......

The siren song of the Big Apple lured Ashley Alexandra Dupre back! The 23-year-old known better as "Kristen," former Governor Spitzer's high class prostitute, was spotted taking a bus from NJ (she's been living with her parents) into the Port Authority. Three guesses: the Emperors' Club VIP took a big chunk of her fees; she hasn't been paid for her music; or she believes very strongly in ways to reduce her carbon footprint. Of course,......

A state appeals court was unconvinced by the Port Authority's arguments and upheld a ruling that leaves the agency 68% liable for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In 2005, a State Supreme Court jury ruled the Port Authority's liability at 68%, with terrorists being liable for 32%. And since the PA was more than 50% liable, it would have to pay 100% of the lawsuits. The PA appealed, finding the decision "bizarre" and questioning......

Under pressure from lawmakers and American Stevedoring, the company that operates the Red Hook container port, the Port Authority declined the City's offer to purchase the waterfront property and instead extended American Stevedoring's lease in Brooklyn for another decade. The container port has been eyed for several years by Mayor Bloomberg and developers, eager to turn the harbor property into condos, shops, marinas, and restaurants. Uncertainty over the port's future has cost American Stevedoring business......

The Federal Trade Administration's head emphasized the alarm over the cost of building the World Trade Center transit hub. James Simpson said, "if the project is as advertised today, it's in the $3 billion." He added that the FTA is "holding the Port Authority's feet to the fire" to make sure the FTA's $1.9 billion grant for the project is spent wisely. Last week, the NY Times revealed the Port Authority was trying to cut......

The New York Post continues its saga of poor document management by the Port Authority today, after exposing how a homeless man found confidential building plans for the Freedom Tower in a trash bin last week. The paper was contacted by a pair of "salvage experts" in the wake of that story, who wanted to let it know that they had reams of documents--all marked confidential--that they discovered in a dumpster behind 115 Broadway, where......

Internal investigators at the Port Authority are faulting the overwhelming bureaucracy surrounding the construction of the Freedom Tower for the loss of confidential blueprints that could have left the new building vulnerable to those determined to strike the WTC again. Per the New York Post, "Experts say there was enough detail in the blueprints to lead to a devastating terrorist attack." Homeless man Mike Fleming found the 150 page document labeled "Secure Document -- Confidential"......

Proving that there's a market for oversize shredders, a homeless man discovered two copies of blueprints for Freedom Tower, aka World Trade Center Tower One, in the trash at Sullivan and Houston Streets. The Post puts Mike Fleming (a "homeless, recovering drug addict") on the cover and questions the security lapse, pointing out, "It's a good thing Osama wasn't walking through SoHo yesterday morning." Fleming had been looking for cardboard to sleep on when he......

The Star-Ledger reports that Governor David Paterson is putting his stamp on the Port Authority by getting rid of Executive Director Anthony Shorris. Shorris was appointed to the $277,000 position by former governor Eliot Spitzer. Paterson's office would not comment, but it's not uncommon for a new governor to want people he/she knows in charge. The Star-Ledger further explains how top management of the Port Authority is selected: "By tradition, the New York governor gets......

Of course: Because of budget concerns that could be hundreds of millions in overruns, the Port Authority is looking at ways to save money on the World Trade Center transportation hub design. But while the NY Times initially frightens those of you (and us, frankly) who have fallen in love with Santiago Calatrava's design with the words "the Port Authority has begun preparing plans for a more modest alternative," there is this:In no case,......

Parties involved with the design and construction of Freedom Tower were happy with tests in the New Mexico desert where a model of the structure was detonated. A partner at architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Carl Galioto, told the Observer, "The specimen performed beautifully, far exceeding our expectations." Safety has long been an issue with Freedom Tower--when the NYPD felt the design needed work, architect David Childs added a concrete base to the building.......

NJ Governor Jon Corzine spoke out against NYC's congestion pricing plan, citing the Port Authority's proposed $1 billion worth of involvement to sweeten the deal. The City Council approved the plan on Monday night, and now the State Legislature will decide. If passed without the Port Authority's involvement (and $1 billion), NJ drivers would face an additional $3-4 toll when crossing over into Manhattan below 60th Street. Corzine issued a statement: "I am dismayed at......

Mayor Bloomberg appears to have the necessary votes to get congestion pricing passed in the City Council, because the Council scheduled a vote on the matter for this afternoon. The fact a vote has been suddenly scheduled is interpreted as a sign that fellow supporter Council Speaker Christine Quinn has enough votes for approval. The Mayor must have spent his weekend bending ears and twisting arms! A critical amendment was made to the statewide version......

A Long Island City concrete firm won a contract to provide $103 million worth of "slabs, decks, walls and enclosures" for the September 11 memorial at the World Trade Center site. According to the NY Times, Navillus Contracting will be responsible for 45,000 cubic yards of concrete for the memorial itself as well as "adjacent underground areas" and the Port Authority's executive director Anthony Shorris said, "This contract will move us to the next......

The Sean Bell trial progresses, with recent attention falling on a bruise below the right knee of Detective Gescard F. Isnora. It was allegedly sustained when Isnora was struck by the car driven by Sean Bell. Isnora claims he leaped out of the way to avoid more serious injury. Bell then reportedly rammed his car into an unmarked police van, then a wall, and then the van again, where it came to a stop. He......

The MTA's various fare hikes for the NYC subways and buses, as well as its railroads, went into effect this weekend. Today, subway and bus base fares still cost $2, but higher-value pay-per-ride Metrocards have less of a bonus discount while weekly and monthly unlimited ride Metrocards are more expensive. You can read more about the fare hikes here, but two important notes: (1)Unlimited ride Metrocards purchased before March 2 are still valid as......