Address by

A. T. Warner, General Manager

Public Service Interstate Transportation Company

Lunchcon

Ground Breaking Ceremonies Port Authority Bus Terminal
Hotel Statler, New York
Thursday, January 27, 1949

·

12:00 Noon

Our hopes are marching on -!

Today we have seen something happen for which we have been hoping and vishing and daring to anticipate for any many years.- Ground has actually been broken for our new terminal and now construction may begin.

The bus situation between the Northern New Jersey metropolitan area and New York City is intricate and highly competitive. However, in spite of this competitive feature I am very sure that all the operators interested in our job of bringing people from North Jersey to New York have sincerely cooperated with the Port Authority in their preparations for their bus terminal and I know that all of us will continue to do so. The bus business from this suburban area of New Jersey has

grown with rapid strides. We can all remember when they had the terminals in back of the hotels, like the alley in back of the Astor, and a similar alley in back of the old Waldorf. Waldorf.

The growth of the business is clearly shown if we look back at

the figures for the past twenty years. In 1928, buses operating botwoen suburban North Jersey and New York City carried through the Holland Tunnel an average daily load of 8,500 passengers.

Five years later, in 1933, the George Washington Bridge had been opened and the daily load (on both) became 36,000 passengers per day. In 1938, with the Lincold Tunnel added in its early days of three facilities.

operation, people carried daily were 59,009,

In. 1943, the total was 117,000 and last year, in 1948, the New Jersty buses carried 165,000 people daily back and forth.

If we take out the 40,000 who use the George Washington Brid we have left about 15,000 through the Hollend Tunnel and over 105,000 through the Lincoln Tunnel or over 60,000 people in each direction (120,000 both ways) who will use the new terminal. We believe that this union terminal will stabilize and unify our bus business to a large degree, that traffic will continue to grow as it has grown and that before many years have passed, alded facilities for new terminals will have to be made available. Remember that in the last 20 years, the volume of this business has expanded nearly 20 times and in the past 10 years it has triplud.

Now, our buses will be able to be removed from the terrible

traffic congestion of New York City streets. All of us operators will like this, the Police Department will like it, and all our patrons will like it. We will be able to save from five to twenty minutes per trip, and give a better, faster, more comfortable and pleasanter trip to our patrons, I am sure that we all feel we finally have a proper terminal at

a reasonable location with equal rights and equal opportunities for all of us, and we are glad to continue to cooperate with the City and the Port Authority to make the completion and the operation of this magnificent undertaking the great success that it will be.

With all due reverence, my mind goes back to that grand old song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and to paraphrase that a littl-:Mine eyes have seen the glory of the spade work of C'Dwyer,

They are building us a terminal, watch it grow high and higher,

With Cullman, Byrne and Tobin sitting round to help the Mayor,
Our hopes are marching on!!

'reported Mar. 6;

'dar Mar. 12, 1947.

'18; passed Senate Mar. 3;

'stricken from calen-'to Assembly Ways and Means

'Comm. Mar. 4; passed Assem

'bly Mar. 18; enacted Apr.5, '1947. (Chap. 631)

Wicks

1947

Feb. 18

Provides for joint

A.1923

A. 2056

1

'action of State of N.Y.
'with State of N.J. for de-'
'velopment by PNYA of

SI 1718; Senate Printed
'and Means Comm. and 'No. 1908; introduced Feb.
'reported out Mar. 6; '8; to Finance Comm. and
'stricken from calen-'reported Feb. 26; passed

'dar Mar. 12.

Referred to Ways

A.1922

A. 2055

'and Means Comm.; re-
'ported Mar. 6;

1

'dar Mar. 12.

'Senate Mar. 3; to Assembly
'Ways and Means Comm. Mar.4;
'passed Assembly Mar. 18;
'enacted April 5, 1947./Wicks/
(Chap. 632)

SI 1716; Senate Printed
'No. 1906; introduced Feb.18;

'stricken from calen-'to Finance Comm., reported

'Mar. 6; passed Senate Mar.
'11; to Assembly Rules Comm.
'Mar. 12; passed Assembly
'Mar. 18; enacted April 11,
'1947. (Chap. 802)
Wicks

Provides that any bond,
'note, or instrument issued'
'by PNYA to be exchanged
'for or converted into gen-"
'eral and refunding bond
'shall be negotiable if New'
'Jersey agrees thereto.

Provides for financing,
'construction and operation'
'of air terminal by PNYA
'cooperating with State of
'New Jersey.

Disposition

Companion III