Air Traffic Control
At the time of the incident, shortly after 3pm, I was northbound on the Garden State Parkway. Living near the airport as I do, you get used to the air traffic patterns. Newark Airport has parallel runways that run N-S, and one intersecting runway that goes E-W. That one is seldom used nowadays because it's shorter. Of the 100+ times I've flown in or out of EWR I can only remember landing on the shorter one once. So as I'm driving home, I see two planes take off westbound - meaning they were using that one. Thought "Hmmm, that's odd..." Apparently the ATC immediately began re-routing traffic; good to know they can react so immediately to keep the skies safe!
And I avoid LGA like the plague. Sitting at Mets games @ Shea Stadium, it's frightening to see what pilots have to do to get in or out of there.