Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study

On June 24th and June 29th, the Bronx Metro-North Study Team held two Remote Workshops via videoconference—one for the Parkchester/Van Nest station-area community and another for the Morris Park station-area community. These Remote Workshops offered community members and other stakeholders an opportunity to hear from the MTA and Department of City Planning on station and planning work updates, join small group discussions to talk about what a vibrant, connected and working community means and to help the study team to refine recommendations and needs for these two station areas.

• See a summary of the June 24 Parkchester/Van Nest Remote Workshop here.
• See a summary of the June 29 Morris Park Remote Workshop here.

To view summaries of draft recommendations shared as part of the 2021 remote sessions and remote open house, please see below:

Hunts Point

• Vibrant Communities Recommendations
• Connected Communities Recommendations
• Working Communities Recommendations

Parkchester/Van Nest

• Vibrant Communities Recommendations
• Connected Communities Recommendations
• Working Communities Recommendations

Morris Park

• Vibrant Communities Recommendations
• Connected Communities Recommendations
• Working Communities Recommendations

Co-op City

• Vibrant Communities Recommendations
• Connected Communities Recommendations
• Working Communities Recommendations

In June and July of 2019, the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study held interactive public workshops for the Co-op City and Hunts Point station areas. These interactive, self-paced workshops were an opportunity for members of these unique communities to join city agencies and members of the MTA in planning around future Metro-North service.

The Hunts Point public workshop was held on June 16th at The Point, a short walk from the location of future Metro-North service. Among the many themes that emerged at the Hunts Point meeting were:

• Desire for improved pedestrian conditions under the1 Bruckner and along Garrison Ave
• Need for improved pedestrian lighting and safety measures near station area
• Desire for retail close to the station area
• Desire for more public art in area and as part of station

The Co-op City public workshop took place on July 16th at the Bartow Community Center in the heart of Co-op City. Major themes that emerged included:

• Need for reliable, regular, and convenient bus service to and from the station area to the various sections of Co-op City, particularly those north of the Hutchinson River Parkway
• Concern about increased traffic in station area and possibility of congestion
• Desire for improved pedestrian and roadway conditions around station area and connecting to northern portions of Co-op City
• Desire for improved pedestrian lighting, addition of sidewalks, and general improved safety along Erskine for those using the new service

For a brief summary of each event, please see the below links:

• Hunts Point
• Co-op City

On March 27th and March 30th, public open houses were held at Montefiore Einstein and St. Raymond’s Elementary School, respectively, both within a block of the proposed station areas. The open house was an opportunity to share everything heard to date about the community’s vision for the Morris Park and Parkchester/Van Nest station areas, including comments collected during public events held during the fall of 2018 at these same locations.

Thank you to those who were able to join us for last week’s Open Houses. At these events the public had the opportunity to:

• Hear about previous community outreach and feedback on these station areas
• Engage with project staff on draft recommendations that were the direct result of previous community input, organized under the following categories:
• Station Area and Access
• Placemaking and Land Use
• Circulation and Mobility
• Parks and Open Space
• Jobs and Economic Development
• Housing
• Community Resources
• Respond to a draft vision for how the different elements might be brought together for each station area
• Participate in a prioritization activity

  
The events were well attended and were full of lively discussion. View all boards presented at the Open House.

On December 11th, a public workshop was held at Montefiore Einstein, within a block of the proposed station area. Just as with the Parkchester/Van Nest public workshop, the interactive, self-paced event was an important opportunity for the community to join city agencies to plan around future Metro-North service by sharing local expertise, conversing with neighbors and city agencies, and contributing ideas to improving the area, plan for the station area, consider what the service means for jobs, health, housing, youth and more. The event was very well attended by a diverse cross-section of residents and many of the thousands employed at the Montefiore Einstein, Jacobi, Hutch Metro Center, and other institutional campuses. View a summary of the Morris Park public workshop and copies of boards presented at the event. 

On November 15, 2018, the Bronx Metro-North Area Study Working Group convened to discuss planning around the proposed Morris Park station and to prepare for a Public Workshop and Open House in December.

Participants work with DCP’s urban designers to bring their visions for the area to life.

Participants label a map of the station area with the kinds of improvements would like to see.

On October 27th, a public workshop was held for the Parkchester/Van Nest Station Area. The event was very well attended. Participants came prepared for thoughtful and constructive conversations at this interactive self-paced event that was an important opportunity for the community to join city agencies to plan around future Metro-North service – share your local expertise, hear from their neighbors, contribute their ideas to improve Tremont Avenue, plan for the station area, consider what the service means for jobs, health, housing, youth and more. In early 2019, the Working Group and technical team will hold an interim public open house to present back to the community everything that has been heard to date. This will be an additional opportunity for community members to guide and comment on the station area planning.

View a summary of the Parkchester/Van Nest public workshop and copies of boards presented at the event.

Community members discuss their vision for the future of the Parkchester/Van Nest station area.

Participants label a map of the station area with the kinds of improvements would like to see.

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.

On July 31st, 2018, the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Study first convened a Working Group to begin planning around the four planned Metro-North stations. The group was convened by the Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the NYC Department of Transportation, and the Department of City Planning. The event included a welcome by the Borough President, DCP Director Marisa Lago, EDC President James Patchett, the MTA, among others, on recent population, jobs and commuting trends in the Borough, as well as an overview of the planning process that members of the Working Group will guide. Working Group members include a mix of local and state elected officials, Community Boards, community institutions and organizations, and housing groups that represent a large variety of community interests in the areas around each station.

View the presentation given by EDC, DOT and DCP. (Updated with corrections to slides 34, 36 and 37)