George Washington Bridge Bus 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, New York. 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.
The building, an example of 1960s urban renewal, has been described as a blight on its surrounding environment and "a brutal assault on the senses". 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, began in late 2013 and were expected to cost more than. 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.
Description
The station is built over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway 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. 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. 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.
The building's roof trusses have been described as resembling butterflies, as seen in aerial views.
Renovation
A renovation of the terminal began in late 2013, after years of delays. It was expected to cost. 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.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, with large tenants like Marshalls, Key Food, and Blink Fitness.
The renovated station reopened on May 16, 2017, two years behind schedule, $17 million over budget, and still unfinished. The contractor Tutor Perini has filed a $120 million lawsuit against the Port Authority over "delays and cost overruns" incurred on the project
Accessibility
The entire facility is wheelchair-accessible. In addition, the New York City Bus's route provides wheelchair-accessible bus service on Fort Washington Avenue. The M4 travels south to Midtown Manhattan and north to Fort Tryon Park.Subway connection
The complex is served by the 175th Street station of the New York City Subway, located 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, was part of the Independent Subway System 's first line, the IND Eighth Avenue Line, which opened in 1932.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.
Bus service
, the bus lines detailed below serve the terminal for the New York City Transit Authority, New Jersey Transit, and Coach USA. Service is also provided by Spanish Transportation with its Express Service jitneys.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.
MTA Regional Bus Operations
Local buses stop at a lower level and on the streets outside the station. Local service includes:- M4 on the Ft. Washington Av side, M5, M100 and Bx7
- M98, Bx3, Bx11, Bx13, Bx35 and Bx36. The Bx13 serves Yankee Stadium.
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 variant of Route 182 |
181 | Bergenline Ave. Station | GWB Plaza, Palisade Avenue, Bergenline Avenue | Limited peak and evening service Monday-Saturday. Other times, use 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 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 |