The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey unveiled a new plan for the proposed Midtown Bus Terminal project which will completely reimagine the world’s busiest bus terminal and its connection to the Lincoln Tunnel.
The new plan laid out in the Port Authority’s final scoping document released provides for a nearly 40 percent increase in transit rider capacity while responding to the needs of the local community.
The new terminal will be designed to serve 100 percent electric bus fleets and will feature cutting-edge technology to manage and speed bus movements in the terminal – using both autonomous vehicle technology and AI-aided traffic management. The release of the Port Authority’s final scoping document describing the new plan based on an extensive public consultation sets the stage for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to begin the federal environmental review process consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and FTA regulations.
The new Midtown Bus Terminal plan includes the complete rebuild of the main terminal at its current location with a nearly 40 percent increase in capacity for commuter and intercity buses. Based on community comments, the new plan includes a storage and staging facility. In addition, the new plan responds to the community request for increased public green space.
The new plan for the new Midtown Bus Terminal includes:
- The complete replacement of the existing terminal building on 8th Avenue for commuter bus services with a state of the art, best in class facility;
- A bus storage and staging building between 9th and 10th Avenues that removes buses from congested city streets;
- The storage and staging building also will include additional capacity to handle intercity buses that currently load and unload on city streets, reducing congestion and foot traffic from local streets;
- New bus ramp infrastructure between 10th and 11th Avenues enabling direct bus access from the Lincoln Tunnel to both the new staging and storage building and to the new terminal;
- Approximately three and a half additional acres of new green space in the local community between 9th and 10th avenues created by decking over sections of Dyer Ave. entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. Those areas will serve as temporary staging locations during early phases of construction and will be transformed for public green space at the completion of the construction project;
- Up to four high-rise towers: one on 8th Avenue between 41st St. and 42nd St.; one on 9th Ave. between 40th St. and 41st St.; one on 11th Avenue between 39th St. and 40th St.; and one on 10th Ave. between 39th St. and 40th St.
The plan takes no private land and is built entirely on Port Authority property. The new Midtown Bus Terminal incorporates state-of-the art technology in its design to improve passenger experience, maximize operational efficiencies and foster sustainability.
Finally, the Port Authority expects to use multiple sources to fund the project which, in addition to the $3 billion for the project in the agency’s 2017-2026 Capital Plan, includes provisions to secure additional funding through up to four new high-rise towers.
“This important step is a turning point in the transformation of the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Manhattan Midtown West into a world-class transportation hub worthy of New York,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
