NJ to Port Authority: We're Going to Make Sure Bus Terminal Gets Built

Last week, the New Jersey side of the Port scored a win when it convinced the board to include a new bus terminal in its capital plan. But since then, doubts have cropped up. The new terminal has no funding and no clear path forward, and it's not one of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's favored infrastructure projects.

So when a bipartisan group of New Jersey legislators descended on the bus terminal Thursday for a press conference, they were there to both take a victory lap — and make something eminently clear to the New York side of the Port.

Senate President Steve Sweeney: "We're not going to back off."
New Jersey Senator Joe Kyrillos: "We are not going to let the pressure up."
New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg: "We will be watching every single step of the way."

If that sounds odd, take a look at what was missing from the news conference: a bus terminal supporter from east of the Hudson River, in the form of either a New York-appointed commissioner or elected official.

The sole representative from the Port Authority itself was Commissioner Pat Schuber, a New Jersey appointee. He pointedly thanked Port Chairman John Degnan — another New Jersey appointee — while not mentioning the agency's New York-appointed executive director (Pat Foye, who battled Degnan at last week's meeting) or its New York appointed vice chair (Scott Rechler, who had earned New Jersey's wrath by wanting to explore building the terminal in the Garden State, an idea theoretically defeated last week).

"For us it comes down to a simple little mantra," said Schuber. "And that is: west side, yes. One-seat ride, yes. Two-seat ride, no."

Sen. Sweeney, making his second trip to Manhattan in just one week's time, said "we have come a long way." But, he added: "we're not going to back off until we see both projects finished."

Sweeney was referring to both the terminal and the Gateway project, the plan to build a new rail tunnel under the river and rehabilitate the surrounding rail infrastructure.

But Sen. Joe Kyrillos dispatched with diplomacy early on.

"Commissioner Schuber tells us that we gotta keep our eye on the ball," he said. "What is it about this big, large, bi-state agency, bigger than many state governments...We read about it all the time, we scratch our head about it all the time, non-communicative to people, to legislators, a big puzzle — or worse: that we still aren't sure. That says a lot."

The New York side of the Port had raised concerns about whether it was appropriate to include the bus terminal in the agency's capital plan, given the absence of a concrete price tag.

But that shouldn't stop the project from moving forward, said Michael Phelan, co-founder of the New Jersey Commuters Action Network.

"I can't think of the last project that was mapped out, soup to nuts, with how every dollar would be spent," he said. "There's going to have to be oversight and governance over the timelines and budgets."

On Thursday evening, a spokeswoman for Gov. Cuomo issued a statement regarding the bus terminal:

“Everyone agrees that a new bus terminal is needed," said Beth DeFalco in an email. "We look forward to seeing more information about the proposed project – particularly things like cost and design – to ensure fiscal responsibility, transparency, and consistency with the Port Authority’s regional priorities.”

Sen. Bob Gordon, who heads up the Legislative Oversight Committee, said he had scheduled a hearing on the bus terminal project for later this month.