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9/28/2021
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced that the environmental review process for the Metro-North Penn Station access project has been completed.
The milestone makes four new stations in the Bronx as well as direct MTA Metro-North Railroad service to Penn Station from the Bronx, Westchester and Connecticut a step closer to reality, MTA officials said in a press release.
The environmental assessment and Section 4(f) evaluation were released on May 18 for public and agency comment. On Sept. 24, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a formal "finding of no significant impact" in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, marking the conclusion of the environmental review. The MTA has published a summary of comments and responses received during the public comment period.
"This project will be game-changing for Metro-North," said Catherine Rinaldi, president of Metro-North Railroad. "In essentially one bold stroke it will allow the railroad to dramatically reduce travel times for a transit desert with a vast population of hundreds of thousands of people, and it will allow our busiest line to have a second destination in midtown Manhattan."
The project will bolster equity, regional connectivity and resiliency by delivering a new transit option for residents and workers in the East Bronx with four new fully accessible Metro-North stations, at Co-Op City, Parkchester, Morris Park and Hunts Point, MTA officials said.
The advent of train service to these stations will support the local economy and attract regional talent by increasing accessibility to underserved neighborhoods, cutting commutes, and introducing reverse commuting opportunities.