What Makes Port Authority Bus Terminal a Great Place?
The surrounding district is clearly being revitalized. The Walt Disney Company has committed to the 42nd Street redevelopment project and will be renovating an historic theater and participating in opening a new hotel. Other entertainment companies are following. The Times Square Business Improvement District is upgrading the cleanliness and security in the neighborhood from West 40th to West 53rd Streets and from 6th to 8th Avenues. Unused and misused space was redesigned in an attempt to eliminate so-called “criminogenic areas”: dark corners, poorly lit corridors, and other problematic areas that contributed to the unsavory and unsafe atmosphere of the bus terminal. Included in the design changes was renovation of public restrooms, smaller pillars (since pillars obstruct view), and brighter lighting, painting and floors. Attic spaces where homeless people had been living were sealed. Also, the Port Authority now plays classical music on its interior sound systems. This has yielded mu
