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Behold, Shiny New Renderings For A Less Hellish Port Authority Bus Terminal
By
David Colon
Published Sep 23, 2016
Modified Sep 23, 2016
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By
David Colon
Published Sep 23, 2016
Modified Sep 23, 2016
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Apart from its magnificent public bathrooms, the Port Authority Bus Terminal is (rightly) seen as one of the worst places in New York City. Aside from the fact that being there sometimes means you're attempting to leave New York, which is always a mistake, the terminal's an eyesore, boasting low ceilings, poor lighting and cramped quarters. But since we seem to be stuck with cross-Hudson bus travel, the bus terminal will soon get a $10 billion makeover. The Port Authority released their five favorite designs this week for the public to see, and while you don't actually get a vote, that doesn't mean we shouldn't all sit around and argue over which plan we like best. But of course, you can pick whichever one you like, Port Authority, just don't you dare touch Tobacco Road.
Here are the renderings:
ARCADIS OF NEW YORK INCORPORATED:
The Arcadis Plan moves the terminal from 8th Avenue and 40th Street, over to an area between 38th and 40th Streets and 9th and 10th Avenues. Buses coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel would be kept off city streets thanks to the new location, which connects to the tunnel directly. As far as transit connectivity, the plan would rework an existing Greyhound Bus tunnel into a pedestrian connection to the 8th Avenue/42nd Street subway hub. Arcadis also suggests that their above ground pedestrian plaza could connect to a 10th Avenue/41st Street 7 stop if one is ever built.
ARCHILIER ARCHITECTURE CONSORTIUM
The Archilier plan would move the bus terminal itself one block west to 9th Avenue, and use the rest of the Port Authority land to surround the terminal with office space, luxury apartments and a three-star hotel. It would also come with a rooftop park, the capacity to accommodate double-decker and articulated buses, a direct link to a 10th Avenue 7 train and pedestrian link to 8th Avenue subways.
HUDSON TERMINAL CENTER COLLABORATIVE
The HTC plan moves the entire bus terminal complex underground, spanning an area from 40th Street to 42nd Street between 8th and 10th Avenue. The HTC plan suggests that would mean a much simpler link to the Lincoln Tunnel once everything is underground, and that the city would have an opportunity to develop in Midtown West and the area that held the previous bus terminal's air rights. A transit link would allow pedestrians to get to the A, C, E and 7 trains on 8th Avenue. The "Port Authority Bus Terminal" would also get a rebranding, as the Hudson Terminal Center, which honestly sounds pretty morbid.
PELLI CLARKE PELLI ARCHITECHTS
The Pelli plan also moves the bus terminal to 9th Avenue, this time between 38th and 40th Streets, to help feed buses from the Lincoln Tunnel directly into the terminal. This plan also comes with a rebranding, giving the neighborhood that will surround the new terminal the name "Times Square West," because, apparently, the Times Square we have just isn't enough. This new terminal would hide tunnel ramps, emphasize walkable streets and, for New Jersey commuters, rely on a fleet of buses that use off-board fare collection and dynamic gate assignments to cut down on boarding times. The new terminal would also link directly to a future 41st Street 7 stop.
Perhaps the most ambitious (and fantastical!) of the proposals, the Perkins Eastman plan suggests a future where people would actually want to go to Port Authority, even if they didn't have to. It would move the terminal into the lower level of the Jacob Javits Center, take buses and ramps off the local street grid entirely, connect directly to the Hudson Yards 7 stop and build a public park on the waterfront. The new terminal itself would have spacious corridors along with retail and food options. The old space that the terminal sat on, as well as nearby Port Authority land, would be turned over to mixed-use development.
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never leave new york
port authority
port authority bus terminal
David Colon
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