Overhauling the loathed Port Authority Bus Terminal is such a monumental task, that after two years of "planning," the dual-state agency is still totally clueless about how to proceed. "We are so out of our league," one of Port Authority's 12 commissioners confessed at their latest monthly board meeting, "We don't know what we're doing." Ain't that the truth. The commissioners have, in the past, shot down a proposal for a $9 billion overhaul and toyed with the idea of building another terminal in New Jersey to alleviate congestion in the city. That last proposal reared its head again at the commissioners' latest meeting, when developer Scott Rechlerthe board's vice chairmansuggested it be reconsidered, the Times reports. But a majority of the commissioners weren't having it, saying that a "two-seat" ride would make the commute longer and less efficient for many.
Four commissioners recommended that the board consider moving the terminal one block to the west and selling its current lot to meet additional building costs, but the remaining commissioners demured saying they weren't ready to vote on a plan that may cost up to $10.5 billion. Never mind that the new station would also be a block away from the subways under the bus terminal, and would contribute even more taxi traffic to the already-congested area around the Lincoln Tunnel on Ninth Avenue (h/t Streetsblog). The commissioners concluded their meeting without voting, meaning an improved Port Authority Bus Terminal is as far away as its ever been.
· Port Authority Remains Divided on Plan to Replace Manhattan Bus Terminal [NYT]
· The Port Authority Bus Terminal and Our Glaring Lack of Transit Leadership [Streetsblog]
· Port Authority: $9B Is Way Too Much For a Bus Terminal [Curbed]
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