Shore Power Advocates Press Port Authority as Board OKs $39M Overruns

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - Board of Commissioners • Port Authority of New York and New JerseyApril 23, 2026

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Portside organizers brought a specific request to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's April 23, 2026, board meeting: at least $50M in the capital plan to start shore power planning so docked ships stop idling diesel engines near homes. Commissioners did not respond to that request on the record. Instead, they unanimously approved five bridge, PATH and World Trade Center capital items, which included roughly $39M in cost increases, without a single question. A PATH worker's call for the chairman to resign sharpened the tension in the room.

Environmental justice advocates seek $50M for shore power and binding rules for port tenants.
PATH employee urges Chairman Kevin J. O'Toole to resign over ethics and stalled contract talks.
Board approves $14M, $6M and $19M cost increases on GWB, PATH and WTC projects without debate.
TSA callouts hit 33% at JFK during the federal shutdown, and leadership flags World Cup strain.

Advocates Want $50M to Plug In Docked Ships

The basics: Ships at berth now run diesel engines for hours or days while cargo is unloaded. Shore power lets them draw electricity from land instead.

Why it matters: Speakers said ocean-going vessels are the port's largest air pollution source. They also said only $300,000 of a nearly $2B seaport investment plan goes toward emissions, all of it for electric charging stations for port vehicles. The communities most affected include Newark, Elizabeth, Bayonne and Staten Island.

Where things stand: Two coordinated speakers made the case. Erica Bevirt, lead organizer with Parents Engaging Parents New Jersey, works with Pacific Environment's Ports for People campaign. She called delayed shore power a public health crisis and tied port emissions to asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, preterm birth and maternal health harms.

She also turned the agency's own good news against it. Earlier, Executive Director Catherine Garcia had reported the port ranked No. 1 in the United States in March.

"Congratulations to the port for March's numbers and the number one status, but for us, that sounds like my condolences to you and your family," said Bevirt.

"Children in our neighborhood are growing up with inhalers before they're even in kindergarten," she added.

Altherese Fraser, representative of Pacific Environment and the New York-New Jersey Clean Shipping Coalition, took a more technical approach. She credited the agency's goals of cutting emissions 50% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. She then made four requests:

At least $50M in the capital plan for shore power planning and design.
Transparency on Clean Ports funding.
Accountability for an advisory committee now forming.
A commitment of capital dollars, not just federal grants.

She also asked for deliverables within two to three years.

"Where is the shore power timeline and funding commitment? What is the binding requirement for our tenants?" said Fraser.

The other side: No commissioner or staff member answered the questions on the record. The meeting offered no agency counterargument or timeline.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken. Portside families and allied groups have set a concrete marker: a dollar figure, a binding tenant requirement and a deadline window. Shipping tenants would bear any mandate. The agency must decide whether shore power comes from its own capital budget or waits for federal money.

What's next: The speakers tied their request to the capital plan, which puts future capital plan deliberations in focus. Readers can track the forming advisory committee and any Clean Ports funding disclosures.

PATH Worker Calls for Chairman's Resignation

Why it matters: PATH workers have been without a contract since last year. A public resignation demand aimed at the board's leader signals escalating labor tension and ethics scrutiny.

Where things stand: Kevin Ronan, a 15-year PATH employee who worked on PATH's recovery after Hurricane Sandy, laid out his case in numbers.

"In 2010, my last contract for the position I'm currently in, I would have made approximately $37 per hour," said Ronan. He said the inflation-adjusted equivalent would be $56 an hour.

He added that his healthcare "got eviscerated in our last contract."

Ronan then turned to O'Toole directly. He referenced an unspecified matter in February and said the chairman hired the negotiator now bargaining with workers.

"When it comes to ethics, you should be leading us by example, okay?" said Ronan. "In my opinion, I think you should take the dignified way out and resign."

His 11-year-old son, Nicholas Ronan, followed. "You delay their raises so the agency can make money from the interest that does not get paid to them," he said. He then asked whether the family's next stop should be the news, and vowed to keep returning.

The other side: Chairman O'Toole responded only to Nicholas. "We want to be fair to your dad, so we're working on it, okay?" he said. He did not address the resignation call or the ethics allegation. Earlier, Garcia noted the agency works with more than 23 unions.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was taken. The exchange puts O'Toole personally at the center of a contract fight. It also moves the dispute from the bargaining table into public view, with a family willing to escalate to the press.

What's next: Contract talks continue with no timeline stated. The Ronans said they would keep coming back.

Five Capital Votes, $39M in Overruns, No Questions

Why it matters: Three reauthorizations carried a combined $39M in cost increases, two of them blamed on unforeseen field conditions. Two more items added $13.4M in design money. No commissioner asked a question or commented on any of the items.

Where things stand: Vice Chairman Jeffrey H. Lynford, chair of the Committee on Capital Planning, Execution, and Asset Management, presented each item:

George Washington Bridge 178th/179th Street ramps and bus ramps: Reauthorized at $233M, up $14M.
Trans-Manhattan Expressway overpasses: $8.4M in additional planning to complete design of overpass rehabilitation on the GWB approach.
GWB electrical service upgrade: $5M in additional planning to complete design. Chairman O'Toole recused himself and gave no reason publicly. It was the meeting's only recusal.
PATH rail maintenance yard storm resilience (Item 2.1.2): Reauthorized at $57M, up $6M.
World Trade Center Central Chiller Plant and River Water Pump Station: The fourth and final phase was reauthorized at $62M, up $19M. It was the largest overrun of the day.

Lynford explained the ramp increase: "This reflects a $14 million increase, which is required due to several factors, including unforeseen field conditions and revised construction staging requirements for the project," said Lynford.

The PATH increase is mostly federally funded. Lynford said 90% of the $6M increase is expected to come from a Federal Transit Administration grant.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Four items passed with all 12 commissioners voting yes (For: 12, Against: 0, Absent: 0). Those commissioners were O'Toole, Lynford, J. Christian Bollwage, Fanny Cedeno, Marie Therese Dominguez, Leecia Eve, Elizabeth R. Fine, Winston C. Fisher, Joseph Kelley, Gary LaBarbera, Kevin P. McCabe and George Helmy.

The GWB electrical item passed with O'Toole recused (For: 10, Against: 0). Dominguez and Eve were called back-to-back on that vote, and only one "yes" was clearly recorded.

GWB drivers and bus riders get continued access work. PATH riders get flood hardening against Sandy-type storms, largely on federal dollars. WTC site operations absorb the biggest unplanned cost.

What's next: The two design authorizations move the overpass and electrical projects toward future construction approvals.

TSA Shutdown, LaGuardia Crash Shape Operations

Why it matters: Federal homeland security funding uncertainty could strain airports during the World Cup, Sail4th and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Where things stand: Garcia said March airport passengers fell 1% from a year earlier. She attributed the drop to airport closures after the LaGuardia crash and to events in the Middle East, and said the agency is watching jet fuel shortages.

The federal partial shutdown began Feb. 14. Garcia said 33% of TSA agents at JFK called out of work on March 26, causing extensive security delays. ICE agents were deployed and withdrew from the airports April 11.

"TSA agents take 4 to 6 months to train, so it is not as if you can just pull someone and hire them from a temp agency," said Garcia.

Other operating figures:

Bridge and tunnel traffic was flat, with truck traffic stronger.
PATH-related ridership rose 10.9%, helped by NJ Transit's Portal Bridge work.
Revenues rose more than 14% year over year, though Garcia said most of that was one-time.
Snow, ice and utilities pushed operating costs up.

JFK Terminal 8 finished a $500M investment, including a $125M concessions refresh with more than 60 outlets. Chairman O'Toole said $19B in JFK construction continues. The agency was also one of eight projects chosen for a USDOT and FAA eVTOL pilot program, an initiative to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, alongside NYCEDC and NJEDA.

Minor Items

Insurance renewals: The Committee on Finance renewed property damage and loss of revenue coverage, plus owner-controlled construction insurance. Each passed 5-0 (Cedeno, Fine, Kelley, LaBarbera, McCabe), and premiums were not disclosed.
Moments of silence: The board honored Air Canada pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, killed in the LaGuardia collision, and Law Department employee Beverly Thornton.
Injured officers: Robert Cifonte, introduced as "Sergeant President," thanked leadership for supporting injured Sgt. Michael Orsillo's family. "We have to take care of our own," said O'Toole.
Illegal taxis: Airport enforcement now includes towing and coordination with the DMV, TLC and the Queens district attorney.
Disability advocacy: Two speakers marked Autism Awareness Month and urged a state-run assisted living model for autistic adults.

Looking Ahead

Leadership flagged World Cup crowds, Sail4th and the 9/11 25th anniversary as near-term tests for airport staffing. O'Toole said the public will see results from the $19B JFK program "by the end of this year."

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