Port Authority to Study Bus Terminal Upgrades

By Noah Cohen

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners has approved a study that could lead to a major overhaul of the agency’s 63-year-old midtown Manhattan bus terminal.

The board signed-off on a contract with Kohn Pedersen Fox and Parsons Brinckerhoff to develop a long-term plan to “improve the quality of interstate public transit services” and limit the impact from buses on the surrounding neighborhood, the Port Authority announced Thursday.

“The plan will explore options for terminal enhancements and possible terminal replacement, a state-of-good-repair investment program, and new bus staging and storage facilities on the west side of Manhattan to improve bus operations and limit the amount of buses idling on city streets,” the agency said in a statement.

Port Authority Chairman David Samson said the creation of a bus terminal master plan signaled the agency’s commitment to making the terminal a “world-class facility.”

Samson, in a statement, noted the authority had already begun efforts to revitalize what it said was the world’s busiest bus terminal. New tenants including a Cake Boss Cafe and Starbucks have been added along with wi-fi access in the south wing, he said. The terminal serves 225,000 travelers daily, the agency said.

Despite recent upgrades, bus riders have expressed frustration with long lines and the Port Authority said the facility was already at capacity in peak travel times. When Hurricane Sandy crippled the region’s rail lines, thousands of added commuters packed the terminal.

“The facility was critical in getting the region moving again during the recovery from the storm, but the increased usage magnified the terminal’s current limitations and the need to explore options to handle future passenger growth,” the Port Authority said.

The study was expected to take 18-months to complete, the Star-Ledger reported. Port Authority officials have already announced a $180 million renovation for the agency’s other bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge.