NEW YORK CITY—The World Trade Center Transportation Hub Oculus—the centerpiece of the sprawling transit facility—is set open in the first week of March, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday.
The Oculus—with its soaring wings designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava—will enable travelers to have a seamless connection with 11 New York City subway lines and the East River ferries in addition to access to PATH trains. It also will provide an enhanced commute for the 100,000 weekday PATH train riders who travel through the station, with quicker, climate-controlled access to the Wall Street area and other destinations to the north and south of the site.
When the Oculus opens, PATH commuters will take new underground passageways to One World Trade Center, 4 World Trade Center, the corner of Liberty and Church streets a few blocks from Wall Street and to Vesey Street on the northern edge of the site. The new facility contains state-of-the-art escalators and elevators for convenient vertical circulation between the trains and street level.
The Westfield mall shops located throughout the Oculus and in the adjoining passageways are expected to open in phases starting in the spring.
"More than a decade ago, planners envisioned a rebuilt transportation complex on the World Trade Center site that would provide critical links between various modes of transit for the first time," says Port Authority chairman John Degnan. "By later this year, this vision will become reality. When the Oculus opens, commuters, visitors and residents of Lower Manhattan will have a greatly enhanced commute to and from the site for the first time."
"The Hub will be a vibrant transit center and tourist destination with an extensive transportation network in the revitalized Lower Manhattan," adds Port Authority executive director Pat Foye. "This year, tenants, commuters and visitors will enjoy easy access to the World Trade Center Transportation Hub's first-class shopping, dining, and amenities, and also provide them with a first-class, convenient transit trip to and from the site."
"This project is a testament to the spirit of New York City, and our commitment to rebuilding and providing improved public transportation connections for everyone who lives, works or visits Lower Manhattan," notes Federal Transit Administration acting administrator Therese McMillan. The Federal Transit Administration has agreed to fund about $2.872 billion of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, more than half of the total cost of the project.
When completed, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub will be the third largest transportation center in New York City, with upwards of 250,000 daily commuters and millions of annual visitors from around the world.
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
