Senators say replacement of obsolete bus terminal long overdue; cite need for new facility to accommodate anticipated 50 percent growth in ridership by 2040
TRENTON – Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, Legislative Oversight Committee Chair Bob Gordon and Budget Chair Paul Sarlo today applauded the vote by the Port Authority Board to move forward on the design and construction of a new Port Authority Bus Terminal.
“Today is a great victory for the 110,000 New Jersey commuters who have endured years of overcrowding and atrocious conditions in a Port Authority Bus Terminal that has long been obsolete,” said Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester). “This project will enable the Port Authority to accommodate a projected 50 percent increase in bus ridership by 2040. Port Authority Chairman John Degnan deserves tremendous credit for bringing this project to the forefront of the Port Authority’s capital priorities.”
“This has been a long hard fight, and we would not have succeeded without the support of the bus commuters and transportation advocates who turned out at hearing after hearing to make the case for construction of a new bus terminal,” said Senator Weinberg (D-Bergen). “Our bus commuters put up with a lot, and one of the biggest advantages of building a brand-new bus terminal one block west of the existing facility is that commuters will not be displaced during construction.”
“Today’s vote is just the beginning of a long process to provide commuters with the modern bus terminal they deserve. Over the next year, the Port Authority will be reviewing design proposals and also assessing the best mix of transit strategies to meet future trans-Hudson transportation needs,” said Senator Gordon (D-Bergen/Passaic). “We look forward to playing an important role through the legislative oversight process in ensuring that the transportation needs of the region are fully met.”
“We need to move ahead quickly on construction of the new Port Authority Bus Terminal,” said Senator Sarlo (D-Bergen). “This is important not only to better serve our current 110,000 bus commuters, but also to provide additional capacity to avert the economic and commuter catastrophe that would occur if one of the 105-year-old rail tunnels under the Hudson needs to close for repairs before the new Gateway rail tunnels can be built. We need to ensure that both the new bus terminal and the Gateway project are included in the Port Authority’s revised 10-year capital plan.”
Degnan and other Port Authority officials will appear before the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee in Trenton on Wednesday, October 28, to discuss plans for the new Port Authority Bus Terminal, the 10-year capital plan and Port Authority reform legislation.
