THE Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has started posting an index of monthly passenger and freight activity levels on its website, providing the public with a quick glance at transport activity at its airports, bridges and tunnels, rail lines and port facilities.
    Dubbed PA Pulse, and patterned after the US Department of Transportation's monthly Transportation Services Index (TSI), the index provides a one-stop look at monthly transportation activity, which may eventually help predict regional economic trends since transportation is a key component of business activity.
    PA Pulse will combine monthly totals of aviation passengers, vehicle movements, rail and bus mass-transit users and air, truck, and sea cargo, providing a cross-section of transportation activity at the region's key gateways and interstate crossings, which can be compared on a month-by-month basis. Statistics will be timely and seasonally adjusted and will take into account holidays and severe weather issues to provide the most meaningful monthly portrayal of activity possible.
The PA Pulse should be considered a transportation activity index and is not designed to be an economic indicator. Nonetheless, the PA Pulse does vary with the economy, and agency officials will monitor the index to test its ability to predict changes in the regional economy. The PA Pulse, which currently comprises 20 years of historical data at key regional gateways and crossings, is accessible at http://www.panynj.gov/about/pa-pulse.html.
    "The business of the port authority is the business of the region and these monthly passenger and freight transportation figures will help the public gauge activity levels throughout the metropolitan area," said executive director Pat Foye.
    "This monthly snapshot will provide a quick glimpse of passenger travel levels and cargo movements to help officials and others better understand our transportation network. That knowledge can help them spot key trends to eventually help guide regional economic decision making."

(Source:shipping online)