The Department of City Planning (DCP) launched a public engagement webpage on Friday with recommendations for New Yorkers to continue to plan for four new Metro-North stations coming to the East Bronx.
The train stations will directly connect the four communities of Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City to Penn Station and many points north for the first time in a century. This will bring jobs, create new homes and strengthen neighborhoods to help the city and the Bronx rebound from COVID-19.
“Our new interactive Bronx Metro-North webpage is the result of outside-the-box work to increase public engagement and input into important planning projects,” said DCP Director Marisa Lago. “We know our best planning happens when it’s done side-by-side with New Yorkers, so please, share your ideas and collaborate with us on a path to a brighter, more transit-accessible future for these four neighborhoods.”
The website is the latest step in the planning and public engagement process. The open house materials are available in English and Spanish. Public input received through the digital open house outreach will inform the planning process for the new stations and be discussed at upcoming remote public meetings, with question-and-answer sessions, scheduled for this spring.
These meetings will be accessible by phone and online – and followed by additional outreach. Details for all upcoming meetings will be posted on the Metro-North webpage as well as NYC Engage as they are set.
Since 2018, DCP has worked closely with the MTA, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., the NYC Department of Transportation, the NYC Economic Development Corporation and other stakeholders to engage local community members on planning improvements for the station areas. The study will look at necessary investments for safe access to the four stations, local schools, parks and more.
The new stations are set to open after the completion of the Penn Station Access project in the coming years.
DCP aims to release a final plan for these four station areas by the end of this year.
“I applaud DCP for taking this step to ensure Bronxites voices are heard through this digital platform,” Diaz Jr. said. “In the past, these meetings would be held in-person with a small window of time for public comment but this Open House Webpage around the Bronx Metro-North stations allows Bronxites the ability to view this transformative project from the comfort and safety of their homes with a larger window of time. For nearly ten years now, I have been beating the drum on direct access to Penn Station from The Bronx, which is becoming a reality. I am encouraging all Bronxites to participate in this new public engagement webpage because this form of transportation will be beneficial to us all.”
