New York – Traffic in Airport Dropped 11.6% Due to Recession

New York – The agency in charge of New York City’s airports, bridges and harbor is blaming the recession for a downturn in traffic including a sharp drop in cargo.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says passenger traffic at its airports fell 11.6 percent in the first quarter of this year while air cargo dropped nearly 30 percent. Traffic at the bridges and tunnels linking New York City and New Jersey fell 5.4 percent.

Cargo volumes at the Port of New York and New Jersey are down over 17 percent – the biggest quarterly drop in more than 15 years.

And fewer riders are taking the PATH commuter trains between northern New Jersey and Manhattan for the first time since 2003.

The agency blamed Wall Street job losses and the recession.