A plan to build four Metro-North Stations in the East Bronx, to help areas considered transit deserts, will move forward.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that the Empire State Development Corporation, the MTA, and Amtrak have reached an agreement to bring service to Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City, with access to Penn Station.
(The four stations commuters that need Metro-North service, according to local commuters).
Cuomo said the groups will work together to plan and expedite the project, which he said will bring new economic opportunities to the Bronx.
Further details haven't been released as of this time. Amtrak said all three agencies need to approve the plan by the end of January, which the MTA said it has already done.
Some commuters have said areas like Parkchester, one of the busiest neighborhoods in the Bronx, have dealt with overcrowded buses and multiple subway transfers because mass transit options are limited.
"Amtrak's willingness to negotiate with the MTA will put the East Bronx Metro-North expansion back on schedule and bring us one step closer to expanded commuter rail options in the communities that need them the most," Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz said in a statement.
The state had previously allocated nearly $700 million for the project as part of the MTA's five-year spending plan, but the work couldn't begin until Amtrak gave the green light. Officials wanted the agency to sign on before time ran out or construction costs increased.
Plans for the four stations were originally announced in 2014.