Delivering on its commitment to make targeted short-term improvements to the Port Authority Bus Terminal to enhance the commuter experience, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that it activated Wi-Fi service throughout the facility’s public and gate areas — with the first 30 minutes provided at no charge.
The addition of Wi-Fi to the bus terminal is a key component of the Port Authority’s $90 million Quality of Commute program, launched in 2014 to improve conditions in the 67-year-old facility until a new bus terminal can be built.
Since the program’s inception, 28 specific actions have been taken to upgrade the bus terminal facilities, to enhance customer communication and to improve the reliability of buses entering and leaving the facility. They include: the renovation of all public restrooms throughout the terminal, priority leak repairs, the installation of supplementary air conditioning units in all 3rd & 4th floor pull through platforms, the installation of new wayfinding signs, enhanced cell phone service, enhanced customer information kiosks, the implementation of operational changes to improve “just in time” delivery of buses, the implementation of bus gate efficiency reassignments, the implementation of a gate sharing program, and the establishment of an evening rush hour management team to collaboratively work with the carriers to identify and correct real time operational issues that impact on time performance. In addition, the Port Authority hosts quarterly Commuter Chats with customers to obtain their input on how the terminal is running and suggestions for how it can be improved.
Boingo Wireless built out the Wi-Fi infrastructure under an agreement with the Port Authority. Bus terminal customers can access free Wi-Fi for 30 minutes per 24-hour period. Customers will have the option to pay for additional service beyond the 30 minutes, either monthly or by the hour. Previously, Wi-Fi has been available only to customers on the main and second floors of the terminals.
“It’s clear that we need a new terminal to accommodate the rapidly growing number of trans-Hudson commuters who use the terminal daily,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “That effort will take time, but commuters deserve better service now. We are committed to taking whatever small steps we can take to bring some needed relief to the 260,000 who pass through the terminal each day.”
“We must improve the customer experience in all of our facilities including the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use the PABT” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “Technology such as Wi-Fi in major transit facilities is something that the travelling public has come to expect, and the Port Authority must look to provide in order to serve the travelling public.”
