- Port Authority Bus Terminal
- George Washington Bridge Bus Station
- Journal Square Transportation Center
The Port Authority operates three bus terminals; the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Mid-Town Manhattan, the Journal Square Transportation Center (JSTC) Bus Terminal located in Jersey City, NJ and the George Washington Bridge (GWB) on the New York Side of the bridge in Washington Heights. The GWB and JSTC Bus Terminals are part of the GWB and PATH facilities respectively and are policed by the PAPD commands at each of those facilities.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal, the nation’s largest and the world’s busiest bus terminal, has, since it was built 68 years ago, a dedicated PAPD command to provide police services to the approximate 250,000 people who use the PABT daily and the multiple business located within the nine-story, three-square city blocks of the PABT. In addition to that vibrant community, the PAPD also addresses the law enforcement needs of 8,000 buses arriving and departing each day and the connections to 13 subway lines and 13 New York City bus routes.
The location of the PABT, Hell’s Kitchen, can best be described as one of crime, disorder, narcotics use and homelessness causing many challenges for the PAPD. In the 1990s, when 42nd Street and the Times Square area were slated for major revitalization, the PAPD instituted Operation Alternative that was successful in suppressing crime in and around the PABT along with providing caring assistance to the area’s homeless population.
Port Authority facilities are some of the nation’s top terror targets. On December 11, 2017, in a New York City Subway corridor connected to the PABT, a terrorist partially exploded a bomb strapped to his body. Eight Port Authority police officers from the PABT Command apprehended and disarmed the terrorist with total disregard for their own safety. These police officers truly put others before themselves. The Port Authority Police Department awarded each the Port Authority Police Department Medal of Honor.
