The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

On April 30, 1921, The Port of New York Authority was established as the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and the first interstate agency created under a clause of the Constitution permitting compacts between states.

One area of jurisdiction was called the "Port District," a bistate region of about 1,500 square miles centered on the Statue of Liberty. The name was changed to The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1972 to identify more accurately our status as a bi-state agency.

The Port Authority began blazing new paths in transportation, engineering, law, and administration. Bridges and tunnels were constructed in the late 1920s and into the 1930s; three airports were leased in the late 1940s. In the 1950s and 1960s came the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a second deck on the George Washington Bridge, the world's first container ports at Port Newark and Elizabeth, and the acquisition of the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad which became the PATH rapid transit system. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Port Authority helped advance the region's interests through port and trade promotion and the construction of the World Trade Center.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey continues its trailblazing tradition with the establishment of the CUNY Aviation Institute at York College. With a grant from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the CUNY Aviation Institute at York College is actively engaged in "Advancing Aviation Through Academic Achievement."