Budget woes and design disagreements cause Port Authority to stall on new bus terminal plans

Just two months ago, West Side elected officials and the Port Authority agreed to move ahead on the 10-year, $10 billion capital project to replace the current Bus Terminal, releasing five design proposals for a new building. But officials at the bi-state agency “have reached an impasse” on the project due to budget concerns and disagreements on the design, reports Crain’s.

The agency is stalling whilst trying to finalize a new, $30 billion capital budget, unable to agree on how much to allocate for the new bus terminal. Preliminary cost estimates put the project at $10 billion or more, which, according to Crain’s, “would make it the largest single capital expenditure for the agency, which has become increasingly cash-strapped in recent years after pouring money into other big projects, including rebuilding the World Trade Center site.” They’re also trying to earmark funds for the Gateway Program, which would construct two rail tunnels beneath the Hudson River and cost $24 billion; this project was recently designated a priority.

John Degnan, the Port Authority’s New Jersey-appointed chairman, has long advocated for a new terminal, and in recent weeks has asked for $3.5 billion or more to go towards the project, a number other agency leaders feel is too high. And a long list of local politicians (including Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assembly member Richard Gottfried, and Councilman Corey Johnson) are continuing the effort they began over the summer to put the brakes on the plan until more input is garnered from them and the community. They’re now accusing Degnan of persuing exsiting design proposals instaed of considering what they feel will be a more realistic approach.

[Via Crain’s]

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