Politicos Push for Penn Station Access Project
Penn Access when completed will provide access for suburban NYC commuters to Penn Station on the West Side of Manhattan using existing Amtrak tracks and right of ways.
NEW YORK CITY—Bronx and Westchester County officials are pushing Amtrak and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to end the current stalemate over work schedule and other project-related issues in order to allow work to begin on the Penn Station Access project.
Penn Station Access when completed will provide access for suburban NYC commuters to Penn Station on the West Side of Manhattan using existing Amtrak tracks and right of ways. The project would provide a one-seat connection for Westchester and East Bronx commuters to the west side of Manhattan. The first phase of the project calls for Metro North to build four new stations in the East Bronx (Co-Op City, Morris Park, Parkchester/Van Nest, and Hunts Point) that would also serve to benefit Westchester commuters by connecting the New Haven Line to Penn Station directly.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Westchester County Executive George Latimer were among the politicos that staged a press conference on Friday at the Residence Inn by Marriott in the Bronx calling for Amtrak and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to agree to align work schedules and the scope of the project that would allow the MTA access to Amtrak-owned tracks and right-of-way.
Officials argued that an agreement has yet to occur due to Amtrak’s demands for the MTA to pay more than its fair share. They noted that the MTA (parent company of Metro North) will already be carrying most of the expense of upgrades, including rebuilding the Pelham Bay Bridge, and Amtrak would be the beneficiary of track improvements and operational flexibility, under-grade bridge improvements, and power, signal and communications upgrades. The MTA has budgeted $695 million for Penn Station Access work in its 2015-2019 capital program.
“We are here to come together to call on Amtrak to stop getting in the way of progress of these four desperately needed Metro-North stations—needed not just for the Bronx but for the entire region,” said Bronx Borough President Diaz. “Everyone knows this is a good idea for commuters, the potential for job opportunities and its impact on congestion, and everyone is on board—except Amtrak.”
“This is a story about cooperation between the suburbs and the city on a project that is both good for the Bronx and good for Westchester County,” Westchester County Executive Latimer said. “We have a common interest here, and what the Borough President and other leaders have done is see the common benefit of opening up these lines to provide benefits in both directions. Access to Penn Station is advantageous for those who live in Westchester along the Sound Shore and need to commute to the Bronx or parts of Manhattan for work, making those communities even more attractive to live in and raising property values in the process.”
A host of federal, state and local politicians also released statements of support for the Penn Access project. Bronx Chamber of Commerce chairman Joseph Kelleher said the Bronx is enjoying what he termed as “amazing growth with new commercial and residential development throughout the borough and numerous companies relocating to the Bronx. The Penn Station Access project would therefore expand the growth potential for the borough.
“The new Metro North train stations will provide improved transportation resulting in major economic development and opportunities for the residence and the businesses in the Bronx,” he said.