Nothing substantial to report:
NYC.GOV
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/do ... 102718.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://dcp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascad ... 261853ae86" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Some observations:
-I saw no mention of Amtrak. Did I miss something? They're kind of, um, crucial?
-$695m is budgeted in the proletariat's five year cap plan for build. It's 2018.
-If they're waiting on ESA, they may be waiting a while. Remember, LIRR made a deal with the devil to get ESA, and that was PSAS. Madison Yard is long gone.
-Do we really need to wait on ESA? Couldn't they be doing track design, grading, signal design, all that?
-Pelham Bay Bridge needs to be replaced no matter what. Amtrak wants to pay as little as possible. And it's their ROW!
-Does the East Bronx service even need to reach Penn? It's been a long time since the NH and NYW&B had an East Bronx terminal. I imagine the market is there for this service whether or not it crosses the East River into Penn, or even the Hell Gate for that matter. It's a huge market. Penn should be the ultimate destination, of course, but the intermediate market/reverse peak is vital, bringing from the East Bronx to Westchester and Fairfield Counties (NY & CT respectively).
On September 26th, 2018, the Bronx Metro-North Area Study Working Group convened to discuss planning around the proposed Parkchester/Van Nest Station and prepare for the public event in October 2018. The meeting was well attended by elected officials, local institutions, and community stakeholders among others.
The public is invited to participate in a workshop/open house scheduled for Saturday, October 27th at St. Raymond's Elementary School from 10am -1pm (Enter at corner of E Tremont Ave and Purdy St.) The interactive self-paced event is an important opportunity for the community to join city agencies to plan around future Metro-North service – share your local expertise, hear from your neighbors, contribute your ideas to improve Tremont Avenue, plan for the station area, consider what the service means for jobs, health, housing, youth and more. See the PDF Document flyer for the public workshop and open house.
Metro-North service is coming to the east Bronx following the completion of the Penn Station Access project and related work. Four new Metro-North stations will be located at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City. Thoughtful, holistic planning around each of the stations is critical to ensuring these stations are integrated into the fabric of the neighborhoods they will serve and will mean the difference between merely establishing new service and ensuring the service is a transformative and positive force in the lives of Bronx residents and their economy.
The Bronx Metro-North Study (BMNS) will look closely at each of the station areas to ensure maximum benefits accrue to the borough as a result of this unprecedented investment in transportation infrastructure and new service. BMNS will lead to short-term and long-term recommendations and improvements around the proposed stations, including safety and access improvements such as crosswalks, sidewalks, and wayfinding elements; better coordination with existing and planned subway and bus service. BMNS will also evaluate land uses and economic development opportunities at Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest.
Close coordination among the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the Department of City Planning (DCP), the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) —together with the Bronx Borough President’s Office and other key city agencies and stakeholders — will be critical to ensuring the stations are thoughtfully integrated into the fabric of the neighborhoods they will serve.
For an overview of the study, study background and information, and station area overview, please visit our brochure page.
In 2017, New York State committed nearly $695 million in its 2015–2019 capital budget to make the new stations and new Metro-North transit service in the East Bronx.
To prepare for these new stations, in 2014, after a three-year planning process, the Department of City Planning released a milestone report -- Sustainable Communities in the Bronx -- on regional rail and transit connections in the borough. That report included recommendations on numerous improvements to existing Metro-North stations throughout the Bronx. Work around those existing stations continues and promises improvements to the commuting experience of Bronx residents, providing a comfortable, fast, and convenient connection to major job and cultural centers not currently available to Bronx residents.
In addition to improvements around existing stations, the report also identified the need for greater planning around four stations planned for the East Bronx: Co-Op City, Morris Park Ave, Parkchester/Van Nest, and Hunts Point. BMNS will act as the next phase of the Sustainable Communities study.