The structure of velocity in New York Bight (NYB) is examined for motions in the low frequency meteorological band (periods greater than 3 days) and for those in the semidiurnal band during the years 1975, 1976, and 1978. An empirical modal analysis suggests that, in the lower part of the water column and in the unstratified season, nearly 80% of the low frequency energy is in phase across the shelf and is organized along the major isobaths. These motions exhibit a remarkable coherence that is visually apparent across the shelf for distances up to 80 km. Near-surface motions are less organized presumably because of the surface wind stress field. Maximum coherence between the observed wind stress and currents occurs with wind angles that vary from 60¿T near the New Jersey coast to 80¿T at mid-shelf just northeastward of the Hudson Shelf Valley which is consistent with the analysis of sea level records by Wang <1979>. Wind-coherent motions represent about 50% of the low frequency energy in the northern section of NYB off Long Island and as much as 70% in the southern section off New Jersey. The analysis suggests the existence of a wind-coherent disturbance propagating southwestward on the outer shelf at about 540 km/day. This phase speed is consistent with earlier studies <Ou et al., 1981>. In the higher frequencies, the M2 semidiurnal tidal current is in phase and rotates clockwise throughout NYB with the major axes organized approximately across the shelf.