NY/NJ Port Authority unveils self-service kiosks

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey installed nine new self-service information kiosks at eight locations within the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT).

The touch screen kiosks will provide the millions of customers who use the facility with directions to their gates and other amenities within the terminal, as well as searchable, real time bus schedule information.

The installation of these kiosks marks the first time the Port Authority has organized both facility navigation and schedule and travel information for the PABT’s two dozen bus carriers.

The integration of wayfinding and scheduling into a single system provides the 225,000 daily commuters of the PABT with a modern approach to navigating the world’s busiest bus terminal. The touch screen kiosks are a key part of the agency’s effort to modernize and revitalize the 63-year-old facility.

“Modern information kiosks at the Port Authority Bus Terminal are long overdue,” said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye. “The bus terminal buildings are complicated and can be difficult for passengers to navigate. On a footprint less than one and a half city blocks, there are more passenger trips per year than at LaGuardia and Newark airports combined. With these improvements, the Port Authority is living up to its commitment to its customers by improving the quality and efficiency of interstate public transit services.”

With the bus terminal at capacity during peak periods and interstate bus travel continuing to grow, the Port Authority recognizes the need for a system that increases efficiency within the terminal and accommodates future growth in bus commuting.

Using touch screen kiosks enhances the way customers find critical information about their commute and the surrounding facility and makes navigating the bus terminal easier for the everyday commuter as well as tourists and other infrequent travelers.