By Alana Calmi and Scott Ladd, Media Relations Staff

Nearly a week into their deployment to Puerto Rico, more than 70 Port Authority staffers with expertise in transportation, engineering and security are working diligently to help an island still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Maria get back on its feet.

The deployment includes members of the agency’s Aviation, Port and Engineering departments, as well as the Port Authority Police Department. This group traveled to Puerto Rico September 28-29, and most are scheduled to stay until October 13. As part of a mutual aid network responding to natural disasters, Port Authority officials were asked to share manpower and technical skills after the storm left Puerto Rico in ruins.

“You can’t help but be moved by the devastation the people of Puerto Rico have suffered,” said Steven Pawlak of the Office of Emergency Management, part of the Port Authority’s response team. “We’re doing everything we can, using whatever it takes to help our friends here restore some semblance of normalcy to their lives.”

Port Authority staffers are providing a range of hurricane repair support to airports and ports, including infrastructure condition assessments, restoration of building systems, site work and security. The teams have been instrumental in rebuilding and replacing damaged structures, electrical equipment and information systems.

For a visual account of the Port Authority’s efforts in Puerto Rico, follow this slideshow: 

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“Our team is completely committed to helping repair the airports and other facilities so heavily damaged by the hurricane,” said John Selden, Deputy General Manager of John F. Kennedy International Airport, from San Juan.

The extreme challenges confronting Port Authority volunteers mirrored those for residents and businesses across the island — severe shortages of water, food and fuel, power outages that continue to afflict most of the country, mobility issues and , insufficient housing. Morale has remained high, energized by productive collaboration with local officials Puerto Rican officials and the response from the Puerto Rican people.

“We hope that whatever assistance we are providing will get essential transportation facilities back up and running on a regular basis as soon as possible,” Selden said.

By Scott Ladd, Media Relations Staff

Weather, the Port Authority’s Gerard McCarty likes to say, is a science, not an art.

Even at its most precise, however, weather can be an inexact science, as this unusually fierce and deadly national hurricane season attests. McCarty, director of the agency’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), is continually working with his team on predictive models that will minimize the impact of another Superstorm Sandy on the New York-New Jersey region.

The devastation of Sandy prompted OEM to reach out to the Stevens Institute of Technology for assistance. In oceanographer Alan Blumberg, director of Stevens’ Center for Maritime Services and a nationally recognized expert on hurricanes, the Port Authority saw a natural partner.

“We asked them to create a system for us,” McCarty said. “We told them what we needed and asked them to fill in the gaps.

OEM Director Gerard McCarty (center) talking hurricane response strategy

Stevens has created forecasting models able to more accurately detect early signs of potentially serious flooding through rain and storm surge. Among other methods, scientists place sensors in bodies of water across New York and New Jersey. The sensors deliver real-time data to a super-computer located on the college’s Hoboken campus. After analysis, the results are shared with the Port Authority.

“We try to give them notice of how much they should worry. We want to let them know what’s likely to happen, what’s the worst that can happen and what’s the risk associated with different probabilities,” Blumberg said.

In turn, OEM forwards warning alerts and updates to other local emergency management and transportation departments throughout the region, including the New York City Office of Emergency Management. In addition to the Emergency Operations Center in Jersey City, the OEM maintains a Watch Desk that operates around the clock, frequently circulating storm and hurricane-related updates.

“Hurricanes and coastal storms don’t happen overnight,” said Ira Forman, a senior manager on the OEM team. “You have enough warning that they are coming, and we can drill down.”

OEM’s Ira Forman reviews storm patterns in the Emergency Operations Center

The Port Authority pledged $6 million to help finance the Stevens computer system that channels critical storm and flooding data to the Port Authority. “Nobody wanted to do this, we understand that. It was too expensive, too much of a commitment, too difficult to do,” McCarty said.

“But we do this because we are part of an important transportation network,” he said. “This information is too important not to share. If we can work harder at getting the right information into the right hands, we can save lives and property.”

By Joseph Iorio, Media Relations Staff

It’s 5:45 p.m. on a Wednesday in Jersey City. While most commuters are hustling to leave work, travel home and relax after a long day, one group of dedicated volunteers is just beginning to gather at PATH’s Journal Square station.

Armed with constructive criticism and thoughtful recommendations, the group – the PATH Riders’ Council (PRC) — is well-prepared to advise PATH management on how the system can better serve customers. It’s an additional set of eyes and ears for PATH leadership, assuring them that passengers have a strong voice in system design, communication and operations decision-making.

“PATH has a positive, collaborative and team-oriented relationship with the PRC,” said Jessica Mills, PATH’s Manager of Marketing and Customer Service. “Since 2015, when the PRC was initiated, we have built a high level of trust. Members are passionate advocates of public transportation and take their roles seriously.”

Currently, PRC is seeking to fill six current vacancies on the 15-member volunteer council. Those interested in serving as members have until 8 p.m. on September 29 to submit applications. This year, the selection committee will be made up of PRC Chairman Stewart Mader and PATH staffers. Candidates must be regular users of the system, live in the PATH service area and be at least 18 years of age. To apply for a position on the council or for more information on the PRC, click here.

Council meetings are held every other month, between 6-8 p.m. on the third Wednesday evening, at PATH headquarters at Journal Square in Jersey City. PRC members provide vital feedback on all aspects of rail operations and project execution. Its sessions focus on issues such as train schedules, service disruptions/adjustments, technology improvements, signage, public safety and public outreach strategies.

PRC members can candidly share guidance and feedback. This underpins the entire PATH-PRC relationship, because we want to make sure rider input is something PATH can rely on, and is willing to solicit,” Mader said.

Stewart Mader, PRC Chairman

“PRC members can candidly share guidance and feedback. This underpins the entire PATH-PRC relationship, because we want to make sure rider input is something PATH can rely on, and is willing to solicit,” Mader said.

Most recently, the PRC advocated for the inclusion of other transit options on the PATH services maps located in each train car. Following its recommendation, PATH added NJ Transit and MTA options to all maps, stations and marketing materials. Other notable achievements include schedule modifications to enable operation of the 33^rd Street trains on five-minute headways later into the evening rush, and the addition of a World Trade Center-Newark train between 5-5:45 a.m. to accommodate travelers to Newark Airport.

“The PRC’s value to PATH is significant,” said PATH General Manager/Director Mike Marino. “As respected members of society, who understand the importance of safe and reliable mass transit, we actively seek their feedback on various aspects of PATH’s operation to better serve the region.”