On March 24, the board of commissioners held a meeting regarding possible plans for the new Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The large-scale bus station is supposed to make life easier for commuters from New Jersey and to allow bus travelers from the East Coast to depart at a modern bus terminal, which is both conveniently located and provides visitors with all the information necessary for a successful bus trip. The project is supposed to cost up to $15 billion with a design contest having already been issued.
However, the latest plans are not to everyone’s liking. One of the main concerns is that the design contest accepts both proposals for a remodelling of the existing bus terminal on Eighth Avenue and 42nd street as well as plans for an expansion of the current Port Authority building. This would mean that private estate would have to be acquired, which would raise the total cost and could also result in massive delays as private estate holders might refrain from giving up their property instead taking the case to court. A counterproposal, for instance, includes a smaller bus terminal in Manhattan which can be linked to a larger transit hub in New Jersey. This, however, would mean that commuters would have to change buses in New Jersey before entering Manhattan. It is also unclear, whether low-cost intercity and interstate bus operators such as Greyhound Bus Lines, megabus US or Jefferson Lines could make use of the new bus terminal, if it was downsized.
A second problem, which has to be faced by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, is connected to the Gateway Project, which makes plans for repairs and additions to railway tunnels located under the Hudson River. Many people, however, are displeased about the fact that NJ Transit, which will provide the majority of commuters, is not given a vote with regards to future Gateway Project plans. All in all, the future of bus and rail transportation into New York remains to be unclear as of now but the city’s endeavors point towards a more convient and comfortable solution.
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