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The Port Authority Bus Terminal often referred to merely as "The Port Authority" is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City . It is operated by the Port Authority Of New York And New Jersey . The bus terminal is a large building located in Midtown , one block west from the Times Square neighborhood, between 8th and 9th Avenues and 40th and 42nd Street at 625 8th Avenue. It serves as a terminus and departure point for both commuter bus routes (mainly operated by New Jersey Transit 's bus operations division) as well as for intercity routes operated by bus companies such as Greyhound and Peter Pan . The terminal boasts an exclusive two-mile bus lane that brings buses from New Jersey directly into the building, avoiding traffic tie-ups and delays on city streets. Direct underground passageways connect the terminal with the , , , , and New York City Subway lines. The terminal is the biggest bus station in the United States and the busiest in the world by volume of traffic . It serves 7,200 buses and about 200,000 people on an average weekday. Over 3 billion passengers have used the building since it opened in 1950 . The terminal was a solution for a hectic array of various terminals spread throughout Midtown Manhattan. The goal was to centralize the flow of buses and create a user-friendly building. The Port Authority Bus Terminal was opened on December 15, 1950 for passengers, originally occupying only the block between 40th and 41st Streets. The building has seen expansions and revitalizations over the years, most notably the addition of the North Wing in the early 1980s. While this expansion increased capacity by 50%, the accompanying renovation replaced the art deco styling of the original terminal with a much blander, steel-and-brick look. The area around the Port Authority was once considered dangerous even by the standards of pre- Gentrified Times Square, especially after dark, but this is no longer the case. A statue of Jackie Gleason in the guise of one of his most famous characters (and New York's most famous bus driver), Ralph Kramden , stands in front of the main entrance to the original South Wing on Eighth Avenue. The plaque on the base of the statue reads, "Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden - Bus Driver - Raccoon Lodge Treasurer - Dreamer - Presented by the People of TV Land." In May of 2007 , the statue was fitted with an oversized New York Rangers jersey with the name and number "KRAMDEN 39" for the original 39 episodes of '' The Honeymooners ''. BUS COMPANIES As Of 2007 , the following bus companies serve the terminal, many via the Lincoln Tunnel : Port Authority of NY & NJ: Bus Routes and Carriers
; Coach USA subsidiaries:
SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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