Trans Hudson Commute Capacity Study

In 2015, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's (PANYNJ) Board of Commissioners authorized a Trans-Hudson Commuting Capacity Study (the Capacity Study) to be completed by a multidisciplinary team of transportation experts including Urbanomics and WSP Global to evaluate a range of strategies for meeting and managing the anticipated increases in trans-Hudson commuter demand to 2040, to inform its deliberations on conceptual planning for replacement of the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT).

To support this effort Urbanomics undertook a cost effectiveness analysis of some 23 alternative transportation scenarios designed to manage Trans-Hudson commuting demand as a substitute for replacing the PABT. These included six strategies to increase peak hour capacity for bus flow across the Hudson River, five strategies to increase the operational efficiency of the existing PABT, four strategies to reduce utilization of the PABT by diversion, and eight strategies to increase trans Hudson capacity by other modes. Because the capital costs of implementing the alternatives were not uniformly available, a qualitative assessment was undertaken, comparing the primary benefits, secondary benefits, negative impacts and time frames of all strategies in a matrix and graphic format. As of 2019, after extensive outreach and planning efforts, the Port Authority was considering three plans to replace the terminal by 2030, at a cost of up to $10 billion.