Port Authority and Waze to Share Data for More Efficient Travel

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is teaming with traffic and navigation app Waze in a data-sharing agreement to improve travel, Port Authority announced Tuesday.

Port Authority will feed information on lane closures and other traffic-related events to Waze in real time, so that drivers will be alerted to any changing traffic conditions. The data-sharing partnership will help Port Authority identify troubled traffic-spots, develop better predictive modeling and manage traffic in real time, such as by diverting traffic around a closure.

More than 250 transportation agencies worldwide have joined Waze’s data-sharing program, called the Waze Connected Citizens Program. Port Authority is the first agency in the New York-New Jersey region to join. Port Authority says that the partnership with Waze will not create any additional costs to the agency or the public.

“This partnership with Waze provides an immense resource of real-time information, and gives us a new channel to alert drivers about changing conditions,” said Port Authority Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Dawson.

“The Port Authority already is seeing a local impact for drivers navigating to and from their bridges, tunnels and airports,” said Adam Fried, Waze’s Global Partnerships Manager. “Cities everywhere are undergoing a massive transportation revolution, and Waze is thrilled to be at the forefront of this movement to continue making travel easier and more efficient.”