Port Authority sees record cargo activity in 2022

The Port Authority released its facility volumes for December as well as for all of 2022 Jan. 25, which showed a mixed bag of results in terms of reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The most notable takeaway from the report comes from the Port of New York and New Jersey, which finished the year with the highest cargo activity in its history.

The port moved a record total of nearly 9.5 million TEUs throughout the year — an increase of 27% from pre-pandemic totals in 2019.

The port also managed a 26-month-long streak of monthly record cargo high activity, becoming the nation’s busiest container port during the peak of the holiday shopping season.

For December and the full year 2022, the port was the nation’s second-busiest container port.

Planes, trains and automobiles

Last month, the Port Authority’s airports handled a total of 11.4 million passengers, which was 96% of pre-COVID December 2019 volumes. For the year, annual passenger volume at the Port Authority’s three airports totaled 128.1 million, or 91% of 2019 levels, which the agency noted was a record-high year for air travel.

Newark Liberty International Airport’s annual total volume for 2022 was 43.6 million, which represents 94% of its 2019 totals.

On the roads last year, the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels handled a total of 120.7 million eastbound vehicles, a nearly identical figure to the 2019 total. And while automobile traffic was basically flat last year, truck traffic increased 6.7% versus 2019 figures.

The most lackluster showing came from the PATH figures.

Last year, PATH reported annual total ridership of 42.6 million riders, which is just 52% of 2019 ridership levels. The annual average weekday ridership for 2022 was 137,016 riders, just 48% of pre-pandemic levels.

The numbers offer useful insight into the trends as drivers, commuters and travelers continue to emerge from the pandemic and into the new normal that was left in its wake.

In addition to Newark Liberty, the Port Authority oversees John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.