Last week, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced the installation of nine self-service information kiosks at eight different locations within Manhattan’s Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT).  The kiosks will provide directions to gates and other amenities within the terminal, as well as searchable, real-time bus schedule information.

This move is a positive step toward improving trans-Hudson bus travel.  In a 2009 Tri-State report, “Express Route to Better Bus Service: How to Improve Bus Travel across the Hudson River, and Beyond,” the lack of accessible, streamlined information available to PABT users prompted the Campaign to call for an online portal for trans-Hudson bus riders with maps, schedules, carrier information, modern communications technology, and updated signage in order to improve the experience of riding — and waiting for — the bus.

On-time performance has been a problem for buses using the PABT, and it has become increasingly clear that reliability is crucial to the success of public transportation. While these kiosks minimize some of the mystery and frustration bus passengers coming into and out of the PABT contend with, the biggest improvements are contingent on capital projects, such as the construction of a new bus garage or the creation of a westbound afternoon exclusive bus lane (XBL) in the Lincoln Tunnel, and not just for Super Bowl fans. A new garage was dropped in 2009 from the Port Authority’s existing capital plan and there are currently no plans to create a westbound XBL, even though the number of afternoon westbound bus commuters rivals the number heading east in the morning.