News that the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has yet another plan for rebuilding the existing 42nd Street bus terminal is disappointing. The Port Authority’s 2017-2026, 10-year, $32 billion capital plan provided only $3.5 billion toward construction of this new facility. How many more years will it take to complete the environmental review process, preliminary along with final design and engineering along with identifying and securing funding for construction?
It is wishful thinking that the Port Authority can count on $6.5 billion in future federal funding to make up the difference. Don’t be surprised about waiting until the next Port Authority 10-year, 2027-2036 capital plan before a complete $10 billion funding package is in place for awarding construction contracts.
The Port Authority, MTA, NJ Transit, NYC DOT and other transportation agencies are counting on the same Federal Transit Administration or Federal Highway Administration funding sources to provide billions toward the $29 billion Gateway Tunnel, $10 billion Cross Harbor Freight Tunnel, and $6 billion Phase Two Second Avenue Subway, among many other projects.
Seven years ago in December 2012, New York City officials and developers who broke ground for the new Hudson Yards project, which was to be built over the LIRR West Side storage yard in Manhattan, were all smiles. It left transit riders and taxpayers frowning.
The existing Port Authority Bus Terminal is antiquated, lacking sufficient capacity to deal with current and future needs. Upon completion of their morning rush-hour trips, hundreds of buses have to head back to New Jersey for midday storage. They have to make another return trip in the afternoon back to the city for outbound evening service.
Eliminating dead heading of buses would open up additional capacity for the overcrowded Lincoln Tunnel. Relocating this facility to the Hudson Yards site would have provided the ideal solution. There would be the ability to expand capacity for new bus services. Hundreds of buses could lay over in Manhattan saving the costs of both fuel and deadheading to and from New Jersey.
Intermodal connections would have become available for the LIRR, NJ Transit, Amtrak, No. 1, 2, 3 ,7, A, E & C subways, ferry services at Pier 79 on West 38th Street, along with the 34th Street Bus Rapid Transit and other local bus services. Long term, there is also the possibility of future connections with Metro North.
These new services would use existing Amtrak connections via the Bronx and Manhattan Westside or Bronx/Queens via the Hellgate Bridge to start service. Relocation of the Port Authority Bus Terminal to this new location would also compliment the $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall.
This project will convert the old Post Office to a new Amtrak Penn Station. Reopening the old Hilton passageway abandoned in the early 1980s for $150 million could provide a direct underground connection from the LIRR at 7th Avenue to Herald Square at Broadway. This provides easy access to the B, D, F ,M, R, N, Q and W subway lines along with PATH.
These connections would be underground easily walk able within minutes between services. With climate-controlled facilities, passengers would be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. No one would be exposed to either rain, wind or snow. This would have been the greatest intermodal transportation facility moving more riders utilizing public transportation than any in America.
The two new concepts proposed by the Port Authority were already proposed by the Regional Planning Association years ago. To build the bus facility under the Javits Convention Center would never work.
Costs for construction modifications to lower levels of the existing Javits Convention Center and new ventilation system to accommodate NJ Transit and intercity buses could increase overall costs by a billion or more above the current $10 billion. There are no direct subway connections at this location which commuters count on. How much would it cost to extend the Lincoln Tunnel and modify the West Side Highway to build at this location? How could the Javits facility be modified to accommodate larger buses, space for riders to wait by departure gates and be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The Port Authority reminds me of the character Wimpy, who famously said, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Tuesday may never come for commuters and taxpayers who use and are looking for a new 42nd Street Bus Terminal within their lifetime.
Larry Penner
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who previously worked 31 years for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for grants supporting billions in capital projects and programs on behalf of the MTA, NYC Transit, MTA Bus, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North Rail Road and NYC Department of Transportation along with 30 other NY & NJ transit agencies).
