Politicians Call for More Public Input in New Port Authority Bus Terminal

Everyone agrees the Port Authority Bus Terminal is badly in need of an overhaul, but a group of city and state politicians aren't happy with how the process has played out so far.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, state Sen. Brad Hoylman and Councilman Corey Johnson held a press conference Thursday morning calling for a halt to the Port Authority's Design and Deliverability Competition and a "comprehensive" public review of the new terminal.

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The politicians are also opposed to the seizure of property through eminent domain, which is included in some of the proposals.

The city, in the form of Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris, has also released a statement saying the bus terminal's redesign needs an overhaul itself.

"New York City has significant concerns with the process that the Port Authority of NY and NJ has undertaken thus far for the much-needed redevelopment of the Port Authority Bus Terminal," Shorris said. "The City has therefore urged the Port Authority to reconsider the current competition process, and begin a comprehensive public engagement and planning process that considers all possible options for a new terminal and views the project in an appropriate regional context."

The competition had been trimmed to five finalists — Arcadis of New York, The Archilier Architecture Consortium, the Hudson Terminal Center Collaborative, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Perkins Eastman — with each to submit a final plan in August.

The Port Authority had planned to make a decision on the competition in September.

The Port Authority held a public forum in April in which the board agreed to follow the previously laid out Midtown Bus Master Plan from 2015 and would include input from the community.

Photo Credit: Rob Young via Flickr/Creative Commons