New York Looks to Transform Its Other Unloved Transit Hub

Attention has recently focused on efforts to pave the way for a renovation of NYC's Penn Station. But a study announced Thursday will investigate how to upgrade, or replace, the hulking Port Authority Bus Terminal, the world's busiest bus facility.

1 minute read

June 29, 2013, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"[U]nder a plan announced on Thursday by the authority, the 63-year-old [Port Authority Bus Terminal] could soon see its most significant overhaul since the late 1970s, when the hub was expanded to keep pace with ridership," reports Matt Flegenheimer. "The authority’s board has commissioned a study to 'explore options for terminal enhancements and possible terminal replacement,' the authority said, with an eye toward constructing new bus staging areas and storage facilities that could limit the scourge of idling buses on city streets."

"David Samson, the Port Authority chairman, said the plan would position the terminal — which with 225,000 travelers a day, is the world’s busiest bus hub, according to the authority — as a 'world-class facility.'"

"No timeline has been set for the publication of the study, to be prepared by the architecture practice Kohn Pedersen Fox and the construction consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff, or for any possible renovations," notes Flegenheimer.

Thursday, June 27, 2013 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

April 22 - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

April 22 - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

April 22 - Urban Edge