Metro-North To Penn Station Project Update
Earlier today, the MTA announced more details on their Metro North to Penn Station project which includes the building of 4 new stations in the Bronx. Here is more via the press release they sent me:
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that it has published the Environmental Assessment for its Metro-North Penn Station Access Project, which will bring Metro-North service to the west side commuter hub and add four new stations in the Bronx. The publication begins a 45-day period for public comment. As part of this comment period, the public will be able to review project documents online and in-person at sites in the Bronx, including the Morris Park Community Association and the Bronx Jewish Community Council. A virtual public meeting on the project will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, June 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The project will bring local MTA rail service to the rail line currently used by Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor for the first time and will significantly reduce travel times for East Bronx residents. The commute from Parkchester to Penn Station, currently up to 60 minutes, will be cut to as little as 20 minutes. The commute from Hunts Point to Penn Station, currently up to 45 minutes, will be cut to as little as 16 minutes. In addition to quicker access to Midtown Manhattan, East Bronx residents will now have access to job and leisure destinations that were previously difficult to reach in Westchester and Connecticut.
As part of the project, four new Metro-North stations will be built at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City.
“Additional mass transit capacity is always a plus for the environment,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “With this project we also have the additional environmental benefit of rebuilding an existing rail facility to provide more service for more people rather than building a whole new line from scratch.”
“To be able to expand to another part of the Bronx and to help our customers more easily reach the west side of Manhattan and other employment destinations in the region is a major development and incredibly exciting for us,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of Metro-North Railroad. “This project will give the East Bronx and all of our customers better transit options which translates to more economic and social opportunities for all.”
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the resumption of the Penn Station Access Project on May 13. The project had been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic which put the Authority’s historic 2020-2024 Capital Plan mostly on hold. The reopened process will result in the selection of a firm to design and build the four new Metro-North Railroad stations and make track upgrades in the Bronx, and bring Metro-North to the East Bronx. The MTA had identified three consortia qualified to bid for the project in February 2020, three weeks before COVID-19 arrived in New York.
The project is one of numerous efforts to make Metro-North service more attractive and useful in the Bronx. Metro-North doubled off-peak and weekend service at Melrose and Tremont in 2017 and doubled service between Manhattan and Fordham in 2019. The last Metro-North station to be newly built was also in the Bronx, at Yankees-E. 153rd Street in 2009.
Metro-North Penn Access riders from the Bronx and the New Haven Line will arrive at a Penn Station that will ultimately be transformed from the confines long familiar to Long Island Rail Road riders. The spacious new Moynihan Train Hall and a new entrance at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue opened earlier this year. Work is now underway to nearly double the width and increase the height of the 33rd Street corridor that is the central spine of the Long Island Rail Road concourse.
The construction of the four new Bronx Metro-North stations comes at the same time the MTA is working to transform Penn Station into a world-class, 21st-century transportation hub by doubling the width and increasing the height of the 33rd Street corridor at Penn Station. The transformation of Penn Station will unite the passenger spaces of the MTA, NJ Transit and Amtrak into one larger, simplified space, bring in natural light from outside the station, and further improve passenger flow to and from trains within the station.
Read the Penn Station Access Environmental Assessment, comment on the project and see meeting details at https://pennstationaccess.info
Truth be told, while I do see the value this project has to the region, it is not something I would be pushing for to happen as fast as possible. Our transit structure is in a terrible state & money should be spent fixing that up first along with the creation of more pressing subway related projects.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Metro North Penn Station Project Resumes
The plandemic caused damage & delays in every imaginable way to people & businesses. The MTA was not spared this as it saw such things like the Metro-North Railroad Penn Station access project. Earlier today, the worst governor in the United States of America, responsible for the death of thousands (aka murderer), announced that the project will resume. Here is more via the press release I received:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the resumption of the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project, which had been paused by the COVID-19 pandemic and MTA funding uncertainty. The reopened process will select a firm to design and build four new Metro-North Railroad stations and make track upgrades in the Bronx. The MTA had identified three consortia qualified to bid for the project in February 2020, three weeks before COVID-19’s arrival in New York raised questions about funding the historic 2020-2024 capital program. Devastating financial losses and uncertainty related to the pandemic led the MTA to pause the capital program and procurement process.
The Governor also announced that the federal government has given the MTA approval to publish the draft Environmental Assessment for public comment.
“As vaccination rates go up and COVID-19 abates, it’s time to refocus our efforts on the critical infrastructure projects we need to deliver for New York’s future and economic recovery from the pandemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “Connecting Metro-North to Penn Station has long been an important next step not just for New York City’s economic growth and development, but for protecting our environment and providing more equitable access to transit in our communities. This restarted selection process for a firm to build four new stations will expand access to transit in the Bronx and help to create a new corridor between Manhattan and the Mid-Hudson region.”
With Capital Program funding becoming clearer as a result of critically needed Federal support, the MTA is moving forward to seek formal bids from the three consortia. At the same time, the MTA is making preparations for a 45-day comment period that would accompany a formal environmental review of the project. As part of that process, the public will be able to review project documents online and at physical in-person sites in the Bronx, including the Morris Park Community Association and the Bronx Jewish Community Council.
“The most cost-effective capital projects are those that squeeze more mass transit service out of existing infrastructure, rather than always building something new from scratch,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “By rebuilding this under-utilized Amtrak rail line to accommodate new Metro-North service, this project will give East Bronx residents better access to jobs, education and a full range of opportunities.”
“This is an exciting project that will be as transformative for Metro-North as it is for the Bronx,” said Catherine Rinaldi, President of MTA Metro-North Railroad. “We look forward to doing everything we can to support this project to bring Metro-North service to an entirely new part of the Bronx and give customers on our New Haven Line — historically our busiest — a choice of new destinations as they plan their travel.”
Governor Cuomo proposed the project in his 2014 State of the State address and dedicated $250 million to it in 2015. The project will bring four fully accessible Metro-North stations to the Bronx – at Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park and Co-Op City. Trains stopping at those stations will serve an extension of the New Haven Line, offering rail commutation options in the east Bronx to midtown Manhattan as well as points in Westchester County and Connecticut.
The commute from Co-op City to Penn Station, currently 75 minutes, will be cut to 25 minutes. The commute from Hunts Point to Penn Station, currently 45 minutes, will be cut to 16 minutes.
Metro-North trains will use a rail line owned by Amtrak that has long been used by Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains, which travel through the area without stopping. This project will upgrade the line and update its infrastructure systems at the same time that it brings local MTA service to the line for the first time.
The project is one of numerous efforts to make Metro-North service more attractive and useful in the Bronx. Metro-North doubled off-peak and weekend service at Melrose and Tremont in 2017 and doubled service between Manhattan and Fordham in 2019 by eliminating a longstanding prohibition inherited from previous private railroads on the use of New Haven Line trains already making those station stops. The last Metro-North station to be newly built where none had been before was also in the Bronx, at Yankees-E. 153rd Street, which opened on May 23, 2009.
Metro-North riders from the Bronx and full New Haven Line will arrive at a Penn Station that has been transformed from the confines long familiar to Long Island Rail Road riders. The spacious new Moynihan Train Hall and a new entrance at 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue have already opened. Work is now underway to nearly double the width and height of the 33rd Street corridor that is the central spine of the Long Island Rail Road concourse.
Further work to transform Penn Station into a world-class, 21st-century transportation hub will occur simultaneously with the construction of the four new Bronx Metro-North stations. Crews at Penn Station will unite the passenger spaces of the MTA, NJ Transit and Amtrak into one larger, simplified space, bring in natural light from the streetscape, and further widen and heighten the passenger areas.
NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “The introduction of a Metro-North Station for the Northeast Bronx, long viewed as a transportation desert, is a major victory for residents. I would like to thank all of our elected officials and community leaders who have worked to make this a reality. Infrastructure development projects such as this are key to improving connectivity for Bronxites, while also allowing for more seamless travel to and from Manhattan, helping to revitalize our local economy as we reopen and recover from the COVID shutdown.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres said, “Our mass transit system is the backbone of our economy and it is imperative that no community gets left behind. We are fortunate that this important project is moving along once again, and I applaud the Governor and his team for their vision and for fighting to make sure our communities are more interconnected as we recover from the COVID crisis.”
Rep. Jamaal Bowman said, “Expanding and enhancing our transit network will be key in building back better, more equitable communities. These four additional trains stations will help reduce our dependence on cars and make many people’s commutes more seamless, which can go a long way in fueling the economic growth we need. Our office has been working hard with the MTA to get this in motion, and I’m glad that we were able to work with Governor Cuomo’s office to make this possible and bring these improvements to families in the Bronx.”
Senator Jamaal Bailey said, “Metro-North has long been an important conduit for economic development in New York City and the Mid-Hudson region, and connecting it to Penn Station is the next step in a process to open up New York for mass transit. This project will help expand equitable access to mass transit and encourage more people to reduce their reliance on cars. The Bronx has suffered for far too long from limited infrastructure investment, leaving transit deserts in places where sizable populations of people reside. I represent Co-Op City, which is a unique community that has for too long suffered from transportation inequity. With the completion of this Metro-North station, Co-Op residents will have more reliable rapid transit. I thank Governor Cuomo for his steadfast commitment to this important infrastructure project for New York’s future and look forward to seeing the four stations open throughout the Bronx.”
Assemblyman Michael Benedetto said, “The people of the Bronx and Co-op City are delighted by this announcement. We have been waiting a long time and we appreciate the Governor’s commitment to the project.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “The Metro-North Railroad has long provided a vital economic and social connection between Westchester County and New York City, and expanding it to Penn Station is a commonsense step that will bring huge economic benefits to our county. Governor Cuomo has championed this project and I am heartened to see it move forward, even in the midst of the terrible COVID-19 pandemic. This won’t just help commuters travel from Westchester to Manhattan; it will also help residents, businesses and families move from the Bronx to our county and provide new opportunities for commerce and economic development in the region.”
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. said, “Ensuring equitable access to mass transit is important to reach underserved communities and reduce our reliance on less efficient means of transportation. Governor Cuomo has championed this infrastructure improvement for the entire region and I thank him for his dedication to getting it done despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This project is a critical step forward expanding opportunities to take mass transit in the Bronx and providing an economic conduit between the Mid-Hudson region and New York City.”
Regional Plan Association President & CEO Tom Wright said, “Penn Access is a terrific project, repurposing existing rail infrastructure to provide new capacity, connectivity and resiliency, and providing critical transit accessibility to historically under-served communities in the Bronx. RPA looks forward to working with communities and the MTA to make sure we take full advantage of this transformational investment.”
Never forget that Cuomo is a murderer and is responsible for the deaths of thousands under his watch.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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New Haven Line Schedule Adjustments
Just a short time ago, the MTA Metro-North Railroad announced schedule adjustments for the New Haven Line due to track work. Here are the details via the press release I received:
MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced that crews will perform New Haven Line track work between Larchmont and Harrison starting May 17 to ensure the continuing safety and reliability of the line. As a result, the railroad is making minor schedule adjustments to mid-day and evening trains. Among the track work tasks, crews will re-level the tracks to ensure proper height in relation to the overhead wires that power the trains using a routine, periodic process known as “undercutting” because it adjusts the level of the ballast, or stabilizing stones, under the tracks.
To accommodate the work, three mid-day Grand Central-bound local trains from Stamford will operate between five to eight minutes later, and four Stamford-bound local trains evening trains will operate between two and 10 minutes later.
All adjusted departure times will be shown in the Metro-North Train Time and MYmta apps and downloadable PDF timetables showing the changes will be available at http://web.mta.info/mnr/html/planning/schedules/schedules.htm.
Transit Blogger
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MTA Seeking Tenants For Pearl River Station
The MTA announced that it is seeking tenants for the Metro-North Railroad’s Pearl River station. Here is more via the press release I received:
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Construction & Development today announced that it is seeking a retail tenant for the Metro-North Railroad station at Pearl River, N.Y. Prospective tenants will also have access to the 1,250 square foot station building just steps from the station platform, and sidewalk space for outdoor spacing possibilities. Metro-North has made state-of-good repair improvements to the station building and platform over the last year.
The request for proposal (RFP) is part of MTA Real Estate’s Station Leasing Program, an initiative to transform commuter rail station houses into retail space to give customers the best possible experience, and help build up downtown business that was not previously at these stations. Recent successes include The Bakehouse at the Tarrytown station, who remained open during the pandemic, serving the local community and honored as a ‘Comeback Hero’ award by Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi last week.
“This program has been successful throughout the Metro-North region bringing quality retail to our stations, and we hope to build off that,” said Janno Lieber, President of MTA Construction & Development. “The Pearl River train station building presents a nice opportunity to add retail for our commuters that will also complement the existing downtown business district.”
“Customer experience is a major element of Metro-North’s mission statement,” President Rinaldi said. “The Station Leasing Program betters that experience by giving people more reasons to visit our station, while helping improve the community, and I am looking forward to welcoming another success story.”
“A big piece of bringing riders back to the railroad is transforming the customer experience,” said MTA Board Member Randy Glucksman. “Once completed our West-of-Hudson riders will have an additional reason to stop by the Pearl River station.”
“It is crucial that we invest in our West-of-Hudson infrastructure and communities,” said MTA Board Member Frank Borelli Jr. “This RFP will help revitalize the downtown area as much as the Pearl River station itself.”
The MTA Real Estate Department leases retail spaces throughout its service area. Retail opportunities in the MTA system range from full service restaurants, to newsstands and cafés. The Real Estate Department also leases and licenses parking lots and industrial spaces within its territory.
This comprehensive, successful program includes lease holders at the following Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road stations:
Metro-North
- Mount Kisco
- Tarrytown
- Tuckahoe
- Hastings-on-Hudson
- Peekskill (coming soon)
LIRR
- Great Neck
- Brentwood (formerly)
- Riverhead
- Speonk (coming soon)
- Kew Gardens (coming soon)
Business owners interested can view the RFP at MTA’s Real Estate webpage. Proposals for must be received by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 11, 2021.
If you know anyone who is interested, reach out to the MTA & take advantage of a great opportunity for your business.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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MTA Winter Storm Gail Plans
With Winter Storm Gail approaching the tri-state area, the MTA is in full gear with its storm plans. Here is the latest info courtesy of the presser sent to me by the agency:
| MTA Announces Preparations In Advance of Winter Storm Gail
|
| MTA Activates 24/7 Command Center to Monitor Winter Weather Event
Subways, Railroads and Bridges and Tunnels Deploy Specialized Snow Removal and De-Icing Equipment All Local Buses Will Be Equipped with Chains MTA Bridges and Tunnels to Implement Empty and Tandem Tractor Trailer Ban at 4 p.m. on Wednesday LIRR to Operate on Enhanced Weekend Schedule on Thursday, Dec. 17 Watch Video of News Conference and Bus Chaining Process View Photos of Winter Weather Preparations
With Winter Storm Gail forecast to bring between 6-18 inches of snow and wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has activated its 24/7 Command Center to monitor the storm and ensure safe, reliable service. MTA employees will be spreading salt and clearing platforms and stairs of snow and ice, keeping signals, switches, and third rail operating, and will remove any downed trees that may fall across tracks, and attend to any weather-related challenges during the storm. The MTA urges customers to avoid traveling unless necessary. For those who must travel, the MTA suggests checking new.mta.info for the latest service updates before traveling, and to use extreme caution while navigating the system, especially on outdoor platforms and stairs. Customers should sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. These alerts are also available via the MTA’s apps: MYmta, Metro-North Train Time and Long Island Rail Road Train Time. “The safety of our employees and customers continues to be our first priority as we prepare for the first winter storm of the season,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye. “The MTA is no stranger to the challenges posed by inclement weather and is ready as always to rise to the occasion in order to keep New York moving.” “All MTA agencies are closely monitoring this storm and we will be ready for whatever winter conditions come our way,” said MTA Chief Safety Officer Patrick Warren. “We have a comprehensive plan in place that includes using equipment and personnel to keep tracks, stations, platforms and roadways clear of snow and ice, so our system can continue to operate.”
Commuter Railroads With snow totals forecast to be highest in the suburbs, especially north of the city, Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road will consider various service options due to the vast coverage of service areas and severity of the storm. Snow-fighting equipment is winterized, tested and positioned strategically throughout both railroads. Protective heat circuits are verified to be operational, air brake lines are purged of any moisture to prevent them from freezing and electric trains are fitted with special third rail shoes to prevent snow from accumulating.
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North is closely monitoring conditions and may modify or suspend service if snowfall is heavy. In ice storms, blizzards, or sustained winds over 39 mph, train service may be severely curtailed or suspended, especially if there are frozen switches, downed trees, or a loss of third rail or overhead catenary power. Metro-North Railroad installed third rail snow shoes on its electric trains to scrape ice off of exposed third rails, shrouds exposed train couplers with snow covers to keep snow out, treats exposed shoes with de-icer, and sprays door panels with an anti-freeze agent. “We are monitoring the forecasts carefully, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst,” said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “Our crews will be deployed before, during and after the storm to combat the weather and ensure we can operate service safely.” Metro-North Railroad has the following snow-fighting equipment ready to go, strategically located at facilities around the system:
Along the tracks, switches – the interlocking tracks that allow rail traffic controllers to route trains from one track to another – are treated with an anti-freeze agent and lubricated. Metro-North Railroad uses electric switch heaters.
Long Island Rail Road To help allow crews to attend to weather-related conditions and in anticipation of reduced ridership, the Long Island Rail Road will operate on an enhanced weekend schedule for Thursday, Dec. 17. Since the LIRR: Forward plan was announced in May 2018, the railroad has prioritized initiatives to improve the railroads efforts to fight weather events that can disrupt service. The LIRR has installed 86 switch snow covers, replaced 332 utility poles alongside the tracks, insulated 38 switches, installed 3,304 M7 weather-resistant doorway threshold plates and replaced 16,000 feet of cable in the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel to make it resistant to salt-water intrusion since the beginning of the program. “The core of the LIRR Forward plan is the recognition of the need to be prepared for difficult situations,” said LIRR President Phil Eng. “We know that we cannot control Mother Nature. But we can minimize service impacts and recover more quickly from storms by being as prepared as possible.” Long Island Rail Road has the following snow-fighting equipment located at various yards around the system ready for deployment:
Along the right-of-way, switches – the interlocking tracks that allow rail traffic controllers to route trains from one track to another – are treated with an anti-freeze agent and lubricated. Long Island Rail Road has switch heaters with natural gas burners at Jamaica Station and electrical heating elements at switches around the system. Long Island Rail Road may modify or suspend service if snowfall is heavy. In ice storms, blizzards, or sustained winds over 39 mph, train service may be severely curtailed or suspended, especially if there are frozen switches or there is a loss of third rail power.
New York City Subway and Staten Island Railway While the underground portions of the system remain unaffected during snowstorms, there are nearly 220 miles of outdoor track throughout the boroughs. The Rockaway , Sea Beach , Flushing , Brighton and Dyre Av Lines are particularly vulnerable to snow and freezing precipitation. To prevent subway trains from being blocked in yards, they will be moved and stored underground in anticipation of heavy snow or ice. This will impact service on lines with express service. “New York City Transit has been planning for this storm for days,” said Interim President of MTA New York City Transit Sarah Feinberg. “This is an all-hands-on-deck event, and we are ready to respond no matter how the weather evolves.” New York City Transit has a yellow-hued fleet of snow and ice-fighting equipment designed to keep outdoor tracks, switches and third rails clear of snow and ice. Super-powered snow throwers, jet-powered snow-blowers, and de-icing cars – retired subway cars modified with tanks and other specialized equipment to spray de-icing fluid on the third rail — are ready for immediate deployment. NYC Transit resources strategically deployed for the storm include:
New York City Buses Due to predicted high levels of snow accumulation, buses will operate reduced service based on anticipated lower ridership. All local buses will also be fitted with tire chains. Articulated buses will be replaced by shorter buses starting Wednesday morning. “We will monitor the weather carefully so that we can respond nimbly and quickly to changing conditions,” said President of the MTA Bus Company and Senior Vice President for Buses for MTA New York City Transit Craig Cipriano. “Provision of bus service depends on roadway conditions and we will carefully coordinate with the New York City Department of Sanitation and be ready to supplement snow clearance from bus routes with MTA resources.” In addition, New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Co. has 35 snow fighters in our fleet, which operate on predetermined routes to quickly reach highly trafficked areas such as terminals, lay-over locations, facilities and known hotspots. Bus managers have technology that tracks service when it falls below minimum expected levels on any route, allowing them to make decisions more quickly. Bus service will be adjusted based on road conditions around the city and service curtailments on a route-by-route basis are possible. MTA New York City Transit’s Department of Buses, and the MTA Bus Company have these pieces of equipment and supplies on hand to fight the storm:
MTA Bridges and Tunnels To ensure safe roadway conditions at the MTA’s seven bridges and two tunnels, an empty and tandem tractor tailor ban will be implemented beginning at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Bridges and Tunnels assembled many pieces of snow fighting equipment and material.
Bridges are equipped with embedded roadway sensors for temperature and above-ground atmospheric sensors that deliver real-time information on wind velocity, wind direction, humidity and precipitation via wireless communication. These sensors record data used to determine if speed restrictions are necessary. “Our crews are ready to clear snow and ice and deploy salt and sand on our roadway surfaces, and to help any motorists who may need assistance,” said President of MTA Bridges and Tunnels Daniel F. DeCrescenzo Jr. “We are ready to do what it takes to provide a safe motoring environment across our facilities, but we will also be monitoring conditions in real time throughout the event and will be ready to implement weather-related restrictions if needed at any or all of our facilities.” Customers are encouraged to sign up for customer alerts by visiting www.mymtaalerts.com.
Access-A-Ride Access-A-Ride customers may experience additional travel and wait times. Depending on conditions, customers may want to reconsider travel, unless medically necessary. For Access-A-Ride paratransit service, a dashboard storm monitoring system is in place to track immobilized vehicles and customers. New York City Transit has also coordinated a procedure with New York City first-responders and the Office of Emergency Management for rescuing customers on immobilized vehicles or those who develop medical needs during storms. Also in place is a paratransit-specific Storm Action Plan that includes processes for curtailing all non-medically essential service. Customers should check mta.info for updates and modified emergency schedules. |
xoxo Transit Blogger
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