Planes, trains, and automobiles — how the Port Authority transformed its digital operations
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey manages some of the world’s busiest transportation and trade infrastructure assets — across air, land, rail, and sea — including the top shipping port on the Eastern Seaboard and bustling international airports.
With such vast operations, one of its most significant public service challenges became the need to efficiently convey vital information to millions of customers.
“There was no easy way to communicate information quickly,” says Keith Armonaitis, Lead – IT Innovation Lab at the Port Authority. “That’s why we started looking at redesigning our websites. We knew we needed to get more real-time information out.”
The organization operates multiple transportation facilities — including the World Trade Center, John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) train, bridges, tunnels, and of course the Port Authority Bus Terminal in mid-town — each with its own website and identity.
“It’s about making sure that we get away from the late 20th-century, early 21st-century idea of what it means to put content on the internet. It’s not about a website anymore. It’s not about an app anymore. It’s about how you can easily create something in one place and share it in multiple contexts.”
Keith Armonaitis, Lead – IT Innovation Lab, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Unprecedented times call for innovative measures
The need to get real-time information out across multiple transportation facilities increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, as customer needs for timely information became even more critical. Even at the height of the pandemic, the Port Authority continued its operations — including the 13.8-mile commuter rail known as the PATH train, which runs from New Jersey to Manhattan.
Updates had become a cumbersome process. Old websites used dated technology requiring multiple approvals and days — or even as much as a week — to enact changes. As the pandemic unfolded, this slow turnaround was no longer acceptable. Quick, accurate dissemination of information became a safety necessity.
"The PATH train, even during COVID, was still moving tens of thousands of commuters each day, including first responders, World Health Organization employees, and hospital workers. We were the ones that brought them to work every day and then brought them back home safely," says Armonaitis. "It was paramount that we provide real-time safety updates to our police department, conductors, airport employees, and other transportation staff. But we also had to provide that information to the public."
“The largest improvement was that we went from taking days to get information out to a matter of hours.”
Keith Armonaitis, Lead – IT Innovation Lab, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Modern solutions to modern problems
Armonaitis and his team found their solution in Adobe Experience Manager. The content management system (CMS) helped streamline digital communications across each transportation hub, reducing lengthy approval processes and replacing outdated publishing methods.
Experience Manager allowed the Port Authority to post daily information about COVID-19 quickly with ease. "With the new CMS, we would simply author COVID information and put it into one place in Experience Manager, and then it was replicated for the website, digital kiosks, and mobile sites, nearly instantaneously," says Armonaitis. These critical updates also served state agencies and elected officials.
With the new system, the Port Authority condensed its online presence into two primary sites: one for transit and another for the World Trade Center. Harnessing the power of Adobe Experience Manager Sites, the Port Authority rapidly built, managed, and deployed consistent and responsive web experiences — such as real-time schedules and commute times for air, land, rail, and sea travel — that resonated with its diverse user base. The new, streamlined information available to Port Authority customers allows them to plan and prepare for travel across each transportation hub, all from one digital location.
The digital transformation gave internal teams much-needed autonomy and removed the need for a lengthy and outdated approval process. Before the modernization, only about eight Port Authority employees could update content, burdened by outdated coding and extended approval processes. After the transition, workflows and approvals were streamlined to deliver consistent, on-brand content.
Now, 50 to 60 staff members across various departments, from IT to design, can publish content autonomously. This represents a striking 650% increase in content publishing capability within the organization. Adobe Experience Manager Assets also ensures that these resources are easily accessible, optimized for various platforms, and maintain consistent branding.
"Once we moved to Experience Manager Sites, people in other departments didn’t have to wait for the web services team," says Armonaitis. "The largest improvement was that we went from taking days to get information out to a matter of hours.”
Prioritizing better outcomes for customers
The impact of these changes also had a positive effect on customer experience. Riders and stakeholders benefited from faster information dissemination and a consolidated website across several lines of business.
The Port Authority also put a huge focus on accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Web content went from English-only to over 100 languages. And service updates were condensed to one website (rather than spread over many), making it easier for riders with disabilities to access vital information. This proactive approach not only strengthened the Port Authority’s commitment to inclusion, but it also transformed the overall experience for all passengers, ensuring that everyone can navigate their services with enhanced ease and confidence.
"A lot of the complaints that we used to get were about being unable to service these other groups of people. This has completely fallen by the wayside," says Armonaitis.
The future of transportation information
The Port Authority remains committed to improving customer service by continuously optimizing digital experience across its lines of business. While it has achieved substantial progress, Armonaitis sees the recent transformation as just the beginning.
"When looking to the future, we will no longer simply create websites or mobile apps. We're looking at creating snippets of code, or content fragments, with Experience Manager that we can then hand off to third parties,” he says. “We want to provide content fragments to airlines like Delta or United so that they can bring it into their apps or sites. Then they’ll have information from an authoritative source, while we increase our audience and build brand awareness.”
Using Experience Manager Assets, the Port Authority now effectively manages a vast digital content repository — from images and videos to specialized documents. This centralized digital asset management capability improves workflow efficiencies and ensures that the most up-to-date assets are used across all channels, safeguarding brand integrity.
“It’s about making sure that we get away from the late 20th-century, early 21st-century idea of what it means to put content on the internet. It’s not about a website anymore. It’s not about an app anymore. It’s about how you can easily create something in one place and share it in multiple contexts,” Armonaitis says. “And that’s why we’re looking to build a digital platform that we can utilize across multiple channels. That’s the big thing, and Adobe is helping us get there with Experience Manager."
Learn more about how Adobe Experience Manager can help modernize government agencies.