Project to Build a New Midtown Bus Terminal Takes Major Step Forward

Credit: PANYNJ

With Publication of Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Release of Revised Project Plan

Publication Today of Draft Federal Environmental Review Triggers 45-Day Public Comment Period

Enhanced Plan for Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement Project Includes Permanent Closure of Portion of 41^st Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues to Create an Iconic Atrium Entrance

Revised Proposal Widely Supported by Local Elected Officials and Community Leaders

Meets Projected 2040-2050 Future Bus Passenger Demand; Includes New Facility for Bus Storage and Staging, Abundant Electric Bus Charging Stations, Community-Friendly Outwardly Facing Retail and New Ramps Between 10^th and 11^th Avenues

Replaces Outdated, Legacy Infrastructure with 21^st Century Terminal with Two New and Additional Support Structures to Reduce Bus Congestion on Neighborhood Streets and Create New Publicly Accessible Open Space in Community

Project Will Create 6,000 Union Construction Jobs

Renderings and Photos are Available Here; 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey today announced the publication by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Midtown Bus Terminal replacement and released revised project plans in response to feedback from key stakeholders, including commuters and the surrounding community.

The new Midtown Bus Terminal will replace the existing 73-year-old, functionally obsolete and rundown terminal with a long overdue world-class facility. Reliable and efficient bus service between New York and New Jersey is critical to the interconnected economies of both states, as hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents work in New York City. The new terminal is designed to meet projected 2040-2050 commuter growth, provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21^st century public transportation needs, and enhance the surrounding community. 

The $10 billion world-class facility will include a new 2.1 million square foot main terminal, a separate storage and staging building and new ramps leading directly into and out of the Lincoln Tunnel. The revised project plan — including a proposal for the permanent closure of a portion of 41^st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, a central main entrance, more street-level retail, and a multi-story indoor atrium and new public open space — will enhance both the commuter and community experience at the world’s busiest bus terminal. The project is expected to create approximately 6,000 good-paying union construction jobs.

“Millions of New Yorkers rely on the Midtown Bus Terminal every year, and this plan reflects a bold vision to make this facility a world-class transit hub,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “Today we are advancing the revised project plan, which will create a more spacious and welcoming environment for passengers throughout the terminal.”

The Port Authority’s plan for the Midtown Bus Terminal replacement project outlined in the draft environmental impact statement reflects public feedback from extensive community outreach, including input from New York City, commuters, local community boards and elected officials in both states.  The draft environmental impact statement has been prepared to permit construction of a full three-part building plan, which includes a main terminal, a storage and staging facility and new ramps directly into the Lincoln Tunnel that bring a wide array of community benefits, including:

• Added capacity to allow curbside inter-city buses that currently pick up and drop off on city streets surrounding the bus terminal to move their operations inside the bus terminal and off the streets.
• The creation at the end of construction of 3.5 acres of publicly accessible green spaces on Port Authority property by decking over the currently below-grade Dyer Avenue “cut” and building open space on top of the new deck-overs.
• New concessions and retail amenities that will be accessible from the streets in the community as well as from inside the bus terminal.
• The construction of significantly improved and attractive facades, enhancing the visual quality of the new bus terminal to become an asset rather than an eyesore to the surrounding neighborhoods. This design includes an iconic atrium entrance on 41^st Street and Eighth Avenue.

To deliver these enhancements (which have added to the cost of the project), the Port Authority is engaged in ongoing discussions with the city of New York to use a financing vehicle associated with plans for commercial development above the new terminal via contribution of payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs), similar to what was done successfully in the building of the Moynihan Train Hall in Penn Station. The Port Authority is also well along in the application process of a federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan to support the project. The updated proposal and the Port Authority’s efforts to secure the needed funding have received overwhelming support from elected officials whose districts include the bus terminal, as well as from community leaders.

The new bus terminal will be built for the future and designed to be net-zero emissions, serving all-electric bus fleets and implementing 21^st century technology at every turn. For instance, a world-class traffic management system — including sensor-based monitoring systems — will enable quicker, smoother movement of buses into and out of the new terminal and provide remote monitoring of bus engines to reduce breakdowns in express bus lanes. The building will also include visionary sustainability and resiliency measures, from LEED certification and clean construction to onsite renewable energy, zoned heating and cooling systems, and heat recovery and reuse technology. Community-friendly outward-facing local retail will benefit commuters and the community alike.

The Port Authority’s construction plan for the new bus terminal is being developed with input from carriers, customers, the local community, world-renowned engineering and construction experts, and innovative architectural and design firms. Current plans provide for a phased construction approach with the staging and bus storage facility to be built first, so that it can serve as a temporary terminal while the existing terminal is demolished and rebuilt. The proposal has eliminated the taking of private property as it would be built on existing Port Authority property stretching as far west as 11^th Avenue.

The issuance of the draft environmental impact statement by the FTA, as part of the federal environmental review required under the National Environmental Policy Act, will be followed by a 45-day public comment period and public hearings. Following receipt of public comments, a final environmental impact statement will be prepared and published by the FTA. A decision on the proposal would follow in the form of a federal record of decision, which is targeted for later this year. The project is expected to be constructed in phases, with a temporary terminal and new ramps completed in 2028 and the new main terminal completed in 2032.

About the Midtown Bus Terminal:

The world’s busiest bus terminal opened in 1950, after the mayor of New York City requested the Port Authority to consolidate eight separate, smaller bus terminals throughout Midtown Manhattan in order to relieve street congestion. As the regional population grew and expanded geographically, the Port Authority expanded the terminal’s capacity in 1963 by converting previous parking space to a fourth level of bus operations and adding three new levels of public parking for 1,000 cars. By 1966, the terminal served nearly 69 million passengers, once again requiring increased bus capacity. In 1970, the Port Authority constructed a 2-mile exclusive bus lane (XBL) on the New Jersey route 495 approach to the Lincoln Tunnel, giving buses faster access directly to the bus terminal and saving commuters up to 20 minutes. In 1981, the Port Authority expanded the bus terminal’s capacity by 50 percent with a new North Wing extension to 42nd Street and the diagonal girder façade now familiar to bus riders. The current facility spans 1.9 million square feet as the nation’s largest bus terminal and the world’s busiest. Individual carriers, the largest of which is NJ Transit, serve routes for daily commuters throughout New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and the lower Hudson

Valley, as well as provide intercity services to and from locations such as upstate New York, New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Canada. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bus terminal served an estimated 125,000 departing passenger trips on an average weekday. As of 2023, the terminal served approximately 98,000 average weekday passengers. For more information on the replacement project, including the FTA draft environmental impact statement, visit: http://www.PABTreplacement.com

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges, tunnels and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the East Coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the region’s three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets, including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.