Port Authority, elected officials finally agree to move forward on new bus terminal

The two parties had been squabbling for months over a design competition

After months of squabbling and disagreements it appears that the Port Authority has finally come to an agreement with elected officials over building a new bus terminal and on the process to move forward, the PA revealed in a statement issued this morning.

In particular Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilman Corey Johnson, who represents the area where the current terminal exists, had expressed opposition to a design competition PA organized to solicit ideas for the new terminal. They expressed concerns that the whole process was devoid of major public input right from the start.

Matters may be resolved now as the PA has opened up the process to community input. Five proposals were submitted for the design competition, but those are yet to be seen by the PA’s board of commissioners. Those designs will be made available to the public at www.PABTcompetition.com on Thursday, who will also get to review and comment on those proposals.

These designs however aren’t the final word on what will replace the existing 66-year-old terminal, and the agency is open to other planning options as well. Starting this month, the PA will start holding meetings with city and state officials, and is planning to host public meetings as the process moves forward.

Currently the terminal serves about 232,000 passengers every weekday, and that number is expected to jump to 337,000 by 2040.

from
http://ny.curbed.com/2016/9/20/12988630/port-authority-bus-terminal-redesign-agreement