Construction to begin in 2025 on new Port Authority bus terminal

Photo Courtesy of Port Authority
This rendering shows an interior view of the planned bus terminal.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has gotten final and complete approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the city of New York to move forward on the project to replace the aging Midtown Bus Terminal with a new facility.

The FTA issued the Record of Decision following a federally mandated environmental review and the signing in September of the project’s final environmental impact statement. The city of New York also fully approved the project following a unanimous 45-0 vote by the City Council in November.

The new Midtown Bus Terminal will replace the existing 74-year-old, functionally obsolete and rundown terminal. The new terminal is designed to meet projected 2040-2050 commuter growth, provide a best-in-class customer experience that serves the region’s 21st century public transportation needs, and enhance the surrounding community, according to a press release from the Port Authority.

All approvals and permits for the replacement of the Midtown Bus Terminal have been secured. Construction of the deck-overs above Dyer Avenue is slated to start early next year.

“The Midtown Bus Terminal is a crucial transportation hub for New York, servicing over 250,000 passenger trips on a busy weekday alone, and we are committed to providing a world-class travel experience to and from Manhattan through this exciting transformation of the terminal,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The $10 billion 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.

“Since day one of my administration, we have prioritized the advancement of a new world-class Port Authority Bus Terminal and today, we are one step closer to realizing that goal,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. “By replacing outdated infrastructure, we will deliver the modern, safe, and reliable transit infrastructure that New Jerseyans deserve. The new bus terminal will increase connectivity on both sides of the river, creating an even stronger, more economically vital and easily accessible region.”

The project plan — including the permanent closure of a portion of 41st Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues, a central main entrance, more street-facing retail, a soaring multi-story indoor atrium and new public open space — will enhance both the commuter experience at the world’s busiest bus terminal and the community surrounding the facility, the release said. The project is expected to create approximately 6,000 good-paying union construction jobs.

“The new bus terminal will be an inspiring gateway to New York City that commuters will actually look forward to using and that will be an asset for our entire region,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

Capacity will be added 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 release said.

The new staging and storage facility will consolidate storage and staging functions in a single facility, minimizing bus idling and circulation around local city streets and reducing congestion in and out of the Lincoln Tunnel.

At the end of construction, 3.5 acres of publicly accessible green spaces will be created on Port Authority property by building platforms spanning the currently below-grade Dyer Avenue “cut” and turning the open space on top of the new deck-overs into public green spaces, the release said.

New concessions and retail amenities that will be accessible from the streets in the community as well as from inside the bus terminal.

The new bus terminal will be designed to be net-zero emissions, accommodating all-electric bus fleets and implementing 21st century technology.

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.