railroad.wikisort.org - Station

The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City. The bus station is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. On a typical weekday, approximately 20,000 passengers on about 1,000 buses use the station.[1]

George Washington Bridge Bus Station
View of the station from the southeast, 2018
General information
Location	between Ft. Washington & Wadsworth Aves, and W. 178th & W. 179th Sts. Manhattan, New York City United States
Owned by	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Operated by	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Platforms	21 gates (upper level)
Connections	New York City Subway: 175th Street ( train) 181st Street ( train)
Construction
Architect	Pier Luigi Nervi
Other information
Website	GWBBS
History
Opened	January 17, 1963
Rebuilt	2013–2017 renovations
Passengers
2015	6.9 million

The building, an example of 1960s urban renewal, has been described as a blight on its surrounding environment[2] and "a brutal assault on the senses".[3] Its upper-level bus ramps cross Fort Washington Avenue, blocking light and the view of the George Washington Bridge.

Major renovations, including an expansion of retail space from 30,000 to 120,000 square feet (3,000 to 11,000 m²), began in late 2013 and were expected to cost more than US$183 million. Although scheduled to be completed in early 2015, the renovated station reopened on May 16, 2017, two years behind schedule, $17 million over budget, and still unfinished.[4][5][6]

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 noted Italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi and is one of only a few buildings he designed outside of Italy.[7] It opened January 13, 1963 as a replacement for a series of sidewalk bus loading areas that existed between 166th and 167th streets further south.[8] 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 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.[9]

The building's roof trusses have been described as resembling butterflies,[10] as seen in aerial views. The entire facility is wheelchair-accessible.[11]

Renovation

A renovation of the terminal began in late 2013, after years of delays. It was expected to cost US$183 million. The project was a partnership between the Port Authority and a private company known as GWBBS Development Venture, LLC. Tutor Perini received a $100 million construction contract in August 2013.[12][13]

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 to those with disabilities. It will increase retail space from 30,000 to 120,000 square feet (3,000 to 11,000 m²), with large tenants like Marshalls, Key Food, and Blink Fitness.[5][14]

The renovated station reopened on May 16, 2017, two years behind schedule, $17 million over budget, and still unfinished.[5][6][15][16] The contractor Tutor Perini has filed a $120 million lawsuit against the Port Authority over "delays and cost overruns" incurred on the project.[17]

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.[18] The subway station, operated by the New York City Transit Authority and served by the A train,[19] was part of the Independent Subway System (IND)'s first line, the IND Eighth Avenue Line, which opened in 1932.[20] 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.[21]

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.[19]

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.[22]

As of 2020^[update], 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).[23] Service is also provided by Spanish Transportation with its Express Service jitneys.[24] Additionally, some OurBus routes serve the George Washington Bridge Bus Station.[25][26]

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.[27][28]

Route	Terminal	via	notes
M4	The Cloisters or Fort Tryon Park (north) Fifth Avenue/32nd Street, Koreatown (south)	Broadway and Fifth Avenue	Bus only runs to the Cloisters when the museum is open; it only runs to Fort Tryon Park at all other times.
M5	Broadway/31st Street, Garment District	Riverside Drive, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway
M98 LTD	Fort Tryon Park (north) 68th Street/Lexington Avenue (south)	Harlem River Drive and Lexington Avenue	Bus only runs during rush hours.
M100	West 220th Street/Broadway, Inwood (north) West 125th Street/St. Nicholas Avenue, Harlem (south)	Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues
Bx3	238th Street station, Riverdale, Bronx	University Avenue
Bx7	West 263rd Street/Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, Bronx (north) 168th Street station (south)	Broadway, Johnson Avenue, Henry Hudson Parkway
Bx11	Parkchester station, Parkchester, Bronx	170th Street, Claremont Parkway, East 174th Street
Bx13	Bronx Terminal Market (extended to Third Avenue/163rd Street, rush hours)	West 181st Street, Ogden Avenue, East 161st Street
Bx35	Jennings Street and West Farms Road, Longwood, Bronx	Edward L. Grant Highway, East 167th Street, East 168th Street, East 169th Street
Bx36	Olmstead Avenue and Randall Avenue, Soundview, Bronx	Tremont Avenue, White Plains Road

New Jersey Transit

Route	Terminal	via	notes
171	Paterson Broadway Bus Terminal	GWB Plaza Route 4	Spanish Transportation operates jitneys along similar route to Paterson
175	Ridgewood Bus Terminal	GWB Plaza New Jersey Route 4 Hackensack, Paramus, Rochelle Park	some trips do not stop at Bergen Community College
178	Hackensack Bus Terminal	GWB Plaza, New Jersey Route 4 Grand Avenue, Teaneck Armory, Englewood Avenue	Englewood/Teaneck (northern route) variant of Route 182
181	Bergenline Ave. Station	GWB Plaza, Palisade Avenue, Bergenline Avenue	Limited peak and evening service Monday-Saturday. Other times, use the Spanish Transportation route, which runs down Bergenline Avenue and continues to Jersey City.
182	Hackensack Bus Terminal	GWB Plaza, Fort Lee Road, DeGraw Avenue	Leonia/Teaneck/Bogota (southern route) variant of 178
186	Dumont	GWB Plaza, Sylvan Avenue, Palisades Avenue, Teaneck Road
188	West New York	GWB Plaza, via River Road Edgewater 60 Street at Kennedy Boulevard	Limited weekend service

Coach USA

Rockland Coaches

Route	Terminals	via
9A & 9AT	New City (9A and 9W) (full-time) Central Nyack (9W) or Stony Point (9) (peak service only)	Sylvan Avenue, Oak Tree Road, Piermont Avenue/River Road, Broadway, Nyack Turnpike (Central Nyack trips only) Lake Road, Main Street, Route 9W (Stony Point is served on select rush-hour trips)

Short Line Bus

Route	Service	Terminals	Serving	Notes
208	PM peak	Montgomery, NY Route 211 and Clinton Street	Washingtonville, Monroe, Central Valley, Ridgewood, NJ	Route owned by the New York State DOT.
	AM peak	East Side, Manhattan 23rd Street and 2nd Avenue	Manhattan neighborhoods: Washington Heights, Harlem, East Harlem, Yorkville, Upper East Side, Turtle Bay, Murray Hill, Kips Bay.	Route owned by the New York State DOT. Does not serve GWB Bus Station and GWB Bridge Plaza.

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
• NJ Transit route finder
• Rockland Coaches
• ShortLine Bus
• Boarding Area from Google Maps Street View
• Waiting Room from Google Maps Street View

---