Metro-North Penn Station Access project breaks ground in the Bronx
NEW YORK -- A project on the drawing board for more than 30 years finally gets a green light.
Friday, work started on a massive project to build four new Metro-North stations in the East Bronx, connecting Connecticut and Westchester County to Penn Station for the very first time.
How many people did it take to break ground for the new Penn State Access project? Nine. Everybody wanted in on this long-awaited project that will be life-changing for commuters.
There hasn't been this much enthusiasm about a transit project since former Gov. Andrew Cuomo named a bridge for his dad, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.
"I'm excited to be here. Can you tell? This is an infrastructure project that goes back at least four governors," said Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The project marks the largest expansion of the Metro-North Railroad since it was founded nearly 40 years ago. The four new stations will be at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-Op City. They will use Amtrak's Hell Gate Line to connect to Penn Station.
For the first time, commuters who live in Connecticut, Westchester and the Bronx can go directly to the West Side, instead of just Grand Central Terminal. It will dramatically cut the commute for about half a million people.
"Time spent commuting is time you're not doing what you really want to do, because I don't know that there's a single person out there who says 'I look forward to being in my long commute everyday,'" said Hochul.
Officials said East Bronx passengers traveling to Penn Station can save up to 50 minutes each way - from 75 minutes to 25. New Haven Line commuters with a West Side destination can save about 40 minutes per day.
The $3.1 billion project is getting a huge infusion of federal dollars from the Biden administration's infrastructure bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer touted the benefits of the project.
"Reduced travel time, greater job opportunities and a more resilient and interconnected regional rail network," said Schumer. "Transit development equals community development."
Watch Marcia Kramer's report
Until now, the East Bronx has been a transit desert, a frustration for many. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said it will bring equity to the community and lots of transit options.
"Once this project is completed, there are going to be 150 trains a day," said Lieber. "That's gonna change lives."
"It's a win for environmental justice because as the governor noted it will cut by 80,000 the number of vehicle miles traveled, which will mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions, less air pollution, lower asthma rates, fewer traffic fatalities," said U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres.
Devani Whitehead's daily commute is 90 minutes from the Bronx to New Jersey, but her ride will eventually be cut in half.
"I have to take a bus to get anywhere, and then I have to take the train to get to the city, so every time I wanna go anywhere, it's a whole thing," she told CBS2's Ali Bauman.
Learning that she will no longer have to take a bus just to get to the train, Whitehead said, "You don't understand, that's beautiful. That'll make a huge difference for me, for real."
"I'd rather get me a taxi service or drive and find me a park in town, which is costly, so I think this would do good for the community," another commuter said.
"It's gonna reduce traffic a whole bunch, and we need that," Eastchester resident Jose Antonio Diaz said.
Officials insist the project will be completed in just five years and will be done in conjunction with a new housing project announced by Mayor Eric Adams to build 6,000 homes nearby.
In comparison, the East Side Access project to bring the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central started in 2006 and may open next year.