GW Bridge Bus Station Developers To Attend Thursday's Town Hall Meeting

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Washington Heights residents will have the opportunity to question the developers behind the long-delayed renovation of the George Washington Bridge Bus Station during a town hall meeting this week. Representatives from the development group — a company called the George Washington Bridge Bus Station Development Venture — are confirmed to attend the meeting, a spokesman for City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez told Patch.

The town hall meeting will be held Thursday at 179 Fort Washington Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Joining the developers to take questions will be the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and local elected officials. Area residents and development stakeholders have been long awaiting the town hall meeting, which like the actual renovation project, has been postponed twice.

The town hall meeting was organized by a group of uptown politicians including Rodriguez, State Assembly Member Carmen De La Rosa, State Senator Marisol Alcantara, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Community Board 12.

The $183 million renovation of the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal was first proposed eight years ago and was supposed to be completed by the end of 2016, but that never happened. Construction on the bus terminal — located on a two-block stretch between West 178th and 179th streets and Fort Washington and Wadsworth avenues — began in 2014 after years of delay due to the recession and damage brought by Hurricane Sandy.

The bus terminal has remained open during the construction, but several of its entrances and exits are blocked off. Incoming passengers are forced to exit the terminal through one staircase located on 178th street and departing passengers can only access their buses by a temporary staircase on 179th street. Neither staircase is ADA accessible, and handicapped passengers must call in advance and get picked up on Fort Washington Avenue.

Photo by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey