Can Buses Use the Lincoln Tunnel? Rules and Restrictions

Yes, buses CAN and DO use the Lincoln Tunnel—contrary to the claim in the source. The tunnel is a critical bus corridor.

Bus Operations

• Exclusive Bus Lane (XBL): Weekday mornings 6-10 AM, center tube dedicated to eastbound buses only—~1,800 buses, 70,000 riders daily
• NJ Transit: 50+ routes use tunnel (100s, 300s series)
• Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT): World's busiest bus terminal (200k+ daily); Lincoln Tunnel is primary Hudson crossing
• Private carriers: Coach USA, Academy, Suburban Trails, etc.
• Intercity: Greyhound, Peter Pan, Megabus, BoltBus (historically)

Restrictions

• Height limit: 13'6" (4.1m) — standard for interstate highways
• Width: 8'6" (2.6m) max
• Weight: 80,000 lbs (36,287 kg) GVW standard
• Hazmat: Prohibited (use George Washington Bridge lower level)
• XBL hours: Buses only in center tube 6-10 AM weekdays; other tubes mixed traffic

Why the Confusion?

The Lincoln Tunnel's center tube is reversible and has the XBL. During XBL hours, it's buses-only. The north/south tubes always carry mixed traffic (cars, trucks, buses). The Holland Tunnel (parallel crossing) has stricter truck restrictions but also carries buses.

Bus Terminal Connection

Lincoln Tunnel → PABT (40th-42nd St, 8th-9th Ave) → NYC subway (1/2/3, A/C/E, 7, N/Q/R/W, B/D/F/M) — seamless bus-to-rail transfer.

Buses are the Lincoln Tunnel's highest-capacity users. The XBL moves more people in 4 hours than all cars do all day.