#Port Authority left in dark on mayor’s NYC checkpoints at bridges, tunnels

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An officer from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department in Manhattan.
Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was left in the dark on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to set up NYC checkpoints for coronavirus at the city’s bridges and tunnels — despite policing the crossings.

De Blasio announced stepped-up enforcement of out-of-state travelers Wednesday morning with New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito, whose officers will carry out the crackdown at tunnels, bridges and public transportation hubs.

But that was the first time, the Port Authority, which patrols most of the crossings and Port Authority Bus Terminal and The World Trade Center, heard of the plan, a spokeswoman confirmed.

The agency was still waiting for details on how the traffic stops would work at bridges and tunnels.

A spokeswoman for City Hall said “most” of the checkpoints wouldn’t be on Port Authority property but “at roadways coming into the City before or after bridges and tunnels.”

“We are doing everything in our power to protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, including coordinating with relevant partners like the State Department of Health,” the spokeswoman added.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the lack of communication between City Hall and the mayor’s office.

When The Post reached out to the Port Authority about what role, if any, their police department would play in Hizzoner’s new plan, a spokeswoman referred questions to the City.

The spokeswoman later confirmed, the agency had no prior knowledge of the initiative.

The NYPD asked its civilian members Wednesday to volunteer to hand out and collect forms to track out-of-towners at Penn Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Additional reporting by Julia Marsh