ARCHITECTURE Authority Buildings and Structures Eighth February bridge bus george station washington wiki-architecture

George Washington Bridge Bus Station

The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). On a typical weekday, approximately 20,000 passengers on about 1,000 buses use the station. The building is an example of mid-century urban renewal and structural expressionism. Designed by the Italian architect-engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, the new bus station was hailed as a robust tour-de-force of Infrastructure ingenuity by leading critics of the day. While later noting the station’s neglect from decades of deferred maintenance, the architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable heralded the design of the station as “a work of the first rank that demonstrates the art and science of reinforced concrete construction at its 20th-century highpoint, in the hands of one of its greatest masters.” The terminal was first proposed in 1955, following earlier attempts to construct a bus station at the George Washington Bridge’s eastern end. The Port Authority hired Nervi to design the terminal in early 1960, and it opened on January 17, 1963. In its early years, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station was underused compared to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. A major renovation, including an expansion of retail space from 30,000 to 120,000 square feet (3,000 to 11,000 m2), was announced in 2008; the project began in late 2013 and was expected to cost more than US $183 mi ll i o n . T h ere n o v a t e d s t a t i o n reo p e n e d o n M a y 16, 2017, tw oye a rs b e hin d sc h e d u l e,$ 17 million over budget, and still unfinished.

Description The station is built over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway (Interstate 95) between 178th and 179th Streets and Fort Washington and Wadsworth Avenues, and features direct bus ramps on and off the upper level of the bridge. The building was designed by the Italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi and is one of only a few buildings he designed outside of Italy. The structure measures 400 by 185 feet (122 by 56 m) long. Early plans for the terminal indicate that it contained 10 platforms for suburban buses on its top level, which collectively had 36 loading positions. At ground level were shops and seven sawtooth loading positions for long-distance buses. The basement level contained a mezzanine leading to the 175th Street station of the New York City Subway. The building is constructed of huge steel-reinforced concrete trusses, fourteen of which are cantilevered from supports in the median of the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, which it straddles. The roof was constructed of 26 triangular sections, each measuring 66 by 92 feet (20 by 28 m) and composed of 36 concrete panels. The design of the roof was intended to disperse exhaust from buses idling there. The building’s roof trusses have been described as resembling butterflies, as seen in aerial views. When the terminal was constructed in 1963, the Port Authority believed the design of the roof would eliminate the need to install air conditioning. The building contains murals as well as busts of George Washington and Othmar Amman, the civil engineer who designed the bridge. The building received the 1963 Concrete Industry Board’s Award. The entire facility is wheelchair-accessible. The terminal was criticized by one writer as “a brutal assault on the senses”.

History Development The George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey was opened in 1931; only its current upper deck existed at the time. As early as 1952, the PANYNJ (at the time the Port of New York Authority) had proposed widening a one-block stretch of 178th Street between Fort Washington Avenue and Broadway and creating a bus terminal there. The terminal would have contained three platforms for interstate buses and a connection to the 175th Street subway station. This would have required the demolition of three apartment houses and the building of the Young Men’s and Women’s Hebrew Association of Washington Heights. A lower deck for the George Washington Bridge, a new Trans-Manhattan Expressway connecting the bridge to the Cross Bronx Expressway, a new bus terminal above the new expressway, and other highway connections near the bridge were recommended in a 1955 study that suggested improvements to the New York City area’s highway system. The Port Authority announced plans for the $12 mi ll i o nb u ss t a t i o nin F e b r u a ry 1957. T h e pl ann e d t er mina lw o u l d b e ab l e t o a cco mm o d a t e 255 b u ses p er h o u r, a ll o w in g 70 p erce n t m ore in t ers t a t e b u ses t o u se t h e b r i d g e . T h e P or t A u t h or i t y w o u l d ha v e t ore l oc a t e 10, 000 f ami l i es t o mak e w a y f or t h e b u s t er mina l an d co nn ec t in g r am p s, p ro m pt in g o pp os i t i o n f ro m t h e a re a^{'} s U . S . re p rese n t a t i v e, Her b er tZ e l e nk o . T h e N e w Y or k C i t y Pl annin g C o mmi ss i o na pp ro v e d t h e im p ro v e m e n t s in J u n e 1957, an d t h e P or t A u t h or i t y a ll oc a t e df u n d s t o t h e im p ro v e m e n tt ha t J u l y . I na pp ro v in g t h e b u s t er mina l, t h e C i t y Pl annin g C o mmi ss i o nman d a t e d t ha tt h e t er mina l b e an e n c l ose d s t r u c t u re . T h e P or t A u t h or i t y ann o u n ce d in M a rc h 1960 t ha t i t ha d hi re d N er v i t o d es i g na t h ree - s t ory,$ 13 million bus terminal above the Trans-Manhattan Expressway. The agency had decided to hire Nervi after seeing several of his other designs, including the Stadio Flaminio in Rome, which Nervi had designed for the 1960 Summer Olympics. The terminal’s foundations were already complete at the time, while the ramps to the terminal were being built. The Port Authority awarded a $9.6 million contract that December to the W. J. Barney Corporation and William L. Crow Company for the construction of the terminal’s roof. In February 1961, contractors erected the largest of 40 steel girders carrying the terminal above the Trans-Manhattan Expressway. The steel frame of the terminal had been completed by that April, and workers had begun pouring concrete around the steel.

Opening and early modifications The George Washington Bridge Bus Station opened on January 17, 1963, and was officially dedicated by New York governor Nelson Rockefeller and New Jersey governor Richard J. Hughes the next day. After passengers complained that the terminal’s open-air design let in cold air, the Port Authority approved the installation of a retractable plastic membrane in August 1963 at a cost of $200, 000. T h e P A N Y N J a l so in s t a ll e d g l a ss w a ll s an d l o uv ers t o p ro t ec tp a sse n g ers f ro m s t ro n g w in d s f ro m t h e w es t, an d i t in s t a ll e d h e a t e d g l a ss - an d - a l u min u m c an o p i es ab o v e t h e t e n d e p a r t u re pl a t f or m s . A lt h o ug h t h e b u s t er mina lw a s in t e n d e d t ore pl a ce a ser i eso f s i d e w a l kb u s l o a d in g a re a s t ha t e x i s t e d b e tw ee n 166 t han d 167 t h s t ree t s f u r t h erso u t h, t h e l a s t b u sro u t e d i d n o t re l oc a t e t o t h e n e wt er mina l u n t i l 1967. I ni t se a r l yye a rs, t h e G eor g e Wa s hin g t o n B r i d g e B u s St a t i o n w a s u n d er u se d, a s m os tp a sse n g ers f ro m N e w J ersey p re f erre d t o t r a v e lt o t h e P or t A u t h or i t y B u s T er mina l in M i d t o w n M anha tt an . U p o n t h e G eor g e Wa s hin g t o n B r i d g e t er mina l^{'} s f i rs t anni v ers a ry, 750 b u sesser v e d t h e t er mina l o nana v er a g e d a y, c a rry in g 20, 500 p a sse n g ers . B y 1974, T h e N e w Y or k T im es ha d w r i tt e n t ha tt h e G eor g e Wa s hin g t o n B r i d g e B u s St a t i o n " ha s n e v er b ee na s u ccess an d i ss t i ll u n d er - u t i l i ze d ". T h e P A N Y N J hi re dd e v e l o p er M c C ann R e a lEq u i t i es in J u l y 1999 t os t u d y t h e f e a s ibi l i t yo f erec t in g am u lt i pl e x c in e maab o v e t h e b u ss t a t i o n . H a d t h e m u lt i pl e x b ee nb u i lt, i tw o u l d ha v eco n t ain e d 12 scree n s w i t ha t o t a l o f 2, 800 se a t s an d w o u l d ha v e b ee n o p er a t e d b y M c C ann u n d er a 40 - ye a r l e a se . T h e m u lt i pl e x w o u l d ha v ecos t$ 20 million. Ultimately, the multiplex was never built; there had been other unsuccessful plans to use the air rights above the terminal. By the 2000s, the terminal retained much of its original design but had fallen into disrepair.

Renovation The PANYNJ approved a $152 mi ll i o n re n o v a t i o n o f t h e G eor g e Wa s hin g t o n B r i d g e B u s St a t i o nin O c t o b er 2008. T h e P or t A u t h or i t y w a s t oco n t r ib u t e$ 49.5 million to the project, while developer Acadia would pay $102 mi ll i o n . A lt h o ug h t h e t er mina l ha d a cco mm o d a t e d 300, 000 b u ses d u r in g t h e p rece d in g ye a r, c a rry in g f i v e mi ll i o n p a sse n g ers, i t ha d b eco m e d a t e d an d ha d n e v er b eco m e a s b u sy a s t h e P or t A u t h or i t y B u s T er mina l . T h e G eor g e Wa s hin g t o n B r i d g e B u s St a t i o n l a c k e d ai r - co n d i t i o nin g; i t s t i ll co n t ain e d p a y p h o n es, a t a t im e w h e nman y p a y p h o n es a cross t h ec i t y ha d b ee n re m o v e d; an d m os t o f i t sre t ai l a c t i v i t yco n s i s t e d o f o ff - t r a c kb e tt in g an d s a l eso f l o tt ery t i c k e t s an d c h e a p co ff ee . L a t er t ha t m o n t h, t h e P A N Y N J re v e a l e dd es i g n s f or t h e t er mina l^{'} sre n o v a t i o n . T h e p ro j ec tw a s p os tp o n e dd u e t o t h e 2008 f inan c ia l cr i s i s . T h e a g e n cy ann o u n ce d in J u l y 2011 t ha tt h e p ro j ec tw o u l d p rocee d a f t er t h e P A N Y N J s i g n e d ana g ree m e n tw i t ha co n sor t i u m o fd e v e l o p ers w h o w o u l d l e a se t h e t er mina l^{'} sre t ai l s p a ce f or 99 ye a rs . A tt ha tp o in t, t h ecos t ha d in cre a se d t o$ 183 million. The developers were to provide $100 mi ll i o n f or t h e p ro j ec t, w hi l e t h e P A N Y N J w o u l d p a y$ 83.2 million. Development firm New York City Regional Center (NYCRC) initially lent $72 mi ll i o n t o t h e p r i v a t e d e v e l o p ers, an d N Y CRCl a t er l e n t an o t h er$ 19 million for the project. At the time of the announcement, the project was to begin in January 2012 and be completed by early 2013. The renovated building was to be improved with better access to local subway stops, displays of bus departure and arrival times, central air conditioning, and full ADA-compliant accessibility. It would increase retail space from 30,000 to 120,000 square feet (3,000 to 11,000 m2). Large tenants like Marshalls, Key Food, and Blink Fitness leased some of the terminal’s retail space before the renovation began. Tutor Perini received a $100 mi ll i o n co n s t r u c t i o n co n t r a c t in A ugu s t 2013. T h e P or t A u t h or i t y an d a p r i v a t eco m p an y, kn o w na s G W BBS De v e l o p m e n t V e n t u re LL C, b e g an re n o v a t in g t h es t a t i o n l a t er t h es am eye a r . T h e b u ss t a t i o n^{'} s main co n co u rse w a s t e m p or a r i l yc l ose df orre n o v a t i o n s in A ugu s t 2014. A lt h o ug hb u sesco n t in u e d t os t o p a tt h e t er mina l, t h ere n o v a t i o n w a s d e l a ye d s i g ni f i c an tl y; t h esc h e d u l e d co m pl e t i o n d a t eo f 2015 w a s p os tp o n e d a tl e a s ttw i ce . A ccor d in g t o T h e N e w Y or k T im es, t h e d e l a ys b ec am e " a sore p o in t inWa s hin g t o n He i g h t s ". T h e t er mina l reo p e n e d o n M a y 16, 2017, tw oye a rs b e hin d sc h e d u l e,$ 17 million over budget, and still unfinished. Tutor Perini filed a $120 mi ll i o n l a w s u i t a g ain s tt h e P A N Y N J in J u l y 2019 o v er t h e p ro j ec t^{'} s " d e l a ys an d cos t o v err u n s ". G W BBS De v e l o p m e n t V e n t u re LL C f i l e df or C ha pt er 11 bank r u pt cy p ro t ec t i o n t ha tO c t o b er, in p a r t b ec a u seo f t h e d e l a ys, cos t o v err u n s, an d a r bi t r a t i o n p rocee d in g s w i t h T u t or P er ini . M o na rc h A lt er na t i v e C a p i t a l L P o ff ere d t o t ak eo v er t h e l e a se h o l d o f t h es t a t i o n^{'} sre t ai l s p a ce, b u t n e g o t ia t i o n s w i t h t h e P A N Y N J s t a ll e d . N Y CRC s u e d t h e P A N Y N J in 2021, c l aimin g t ha tt h e a g e n cy w a s t ry in g t o w i p eo u tt h e f i r m^{'} s in v es t m e n t in t h e t er mina l b y in t er f er in g w i t h t h e pl ann e d s a l eo f t h ere t ai ll e a se h o l d . A u ror a C a p i t a l A ssoc ia t es an d B r i d g esDe v e l o p m e n tG ro u p a c q u i re d t h ere t ai ll e a se h o l d in Dece mb er 2022 f or$ 46 million.

Subway connection The complex is served by the 175th Street station of the New York City Subway. The station is on Fort Washington Avenue with entrances at 175th Street and 177th Street, the latter one block south of the bus station. The subway station, operated by the New York City Transit Authority and served by the A train, was part of the Independent Subway System (IND)‘s first line, the IND Eighth Avenue Line, which opened in 1932. A pedestrian tunnel, maintained by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, links the bus terminal to the subway station. This tunnel is closed at night. The bus station is also within walking distance of the 181st Street station of the same line, and the 181st Street IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line station on the 1 train.

Bus service On September 20, 2017, Greyhound announced that it would be providing service to the station starting September 27, while keeping the Port Authority Bus Terminal as its primary New York City location. As of 2020, the bus lines detailed below serve the terminal for the New York City Transit Authority, New Jersey Transit, and Coach USA (Rockland Coaches and Short Line). Service is also provided by Spanish Transportation with its Express Service jitneys. Additionally, some OurBus routes serve the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.

MTA Regional Bus Operations Ten local MTA Regional Bus Operations routes stop at a lower level and on the streets outside the station. The M4 stops on Fort Washington Avenue, while the M5, M100 and Bx7 stop on Broadway. The M98, Bx3, Bx11, Bx13, Bx35 and Bx36 stop on 178th and 179th Streets between Fort Washington Avenue and Broadway. All routes are ADA-accessible.

New Jersey Transit Coach USA Rockland Coaches Short Line Bus See also Port Authority Bus Terminal Journal Square Transportation Center George Washington Bridge Plaza, across the bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey

References External links

GW Bridge Bus Station home page Coach USA Rockland Coaches Coach USA Shortline Boarding Area from Google Maps Street View Waiting Room from Google Maps Street View

archive.ssv.asia

Explorer

george-washington-bridge-bus-station

George Washington Bridge Bus Station

Graph View