Eastchester REVIEW THE
December 28, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 52 | www.eastchesterreview.com
Officials call on Amtrak to start Penn Station project
Westchester County BOL chairman issues year-end report Calling 2018 “a year of unprecedented achievement” for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Chairman Ben Boykin released a Year-End Report, recapping the legislative highlights of the second half of 2018, and including a look at the full year for the board. In introducing the report on Dec.21, Boykin said, “In January, when our new leadership and a new majority took charge, we had a mission. Our goal was to pass
laws that embody our values; to protect and provide for all Westchester residents; and to stabilize the county’s finances after years of short-sighted and irresponsible decision-making by the prior county executive. I’m proud to say that in our first year, we’ve been able to put our principles into practice.” The report documents key legislative action taken in the second half of 2018 including: Major parks improvements
“I’m proud to say that in our first year, we’ve been able to put our principles into practice.” –BOL Chairman Ben Boykin
Major infrastructure improvements Expansion of affordable housing with hundreds of new units Key legislation on earned sick leave; fair chance to work; co-op
disclosure; conversion therapy for minors and more Also included in the report is a list of the key legislative achievements of the board in 2018, including everything from the board’s first major piece of legislation in January—a ban on gun shows on county-owned property—through the more than 165 appointments to county boards, departments and commissions, which the county Legislature acted on this year. (Submitted)
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., other elected officials and key stakeholders spoke out in support of the expansion of Metro-North service to the East Bronx and the need for Amtrak to get out of the way of this much needed, universally popular project. These four new lines will save Westchester residents, most notably those on the Sound Shore, both time and money by shortening their commutes through the creation of new one-seat ride into Penn Station from Westchester. “This is a story about cooperation between the suburbs and the city on a project that is both good for the Bronx and good for Westchester County,” Latimer said. “We have a common interest here, and what the borough president and other leaders have done is see the common benefit of opening up these lines to provide benefits in both directions. Access to Penn Station is advantageous for those who live in Westchester along the Sound Shore and need to commute to the Bronx or parts of Manhattan for work, making those communities even more attractive to live in and raising property values in the process.” Diaz added, “We are here to come together to call on Amtrak to stop getting in the way of progress of these four desperately needed Metro-North stations—
needed not just for the Bronx but for the entire region. Everyone knows this is a good idea for commuters, the potential for job opportunities and its impact on congestion, and everyone is on board—except Amtrak.” This project—known as the Penn Access Project—would provide a vital rail connection for Westchester to the west side of Manhattan and the East Bronx. At this time, the MTA has a plan in place to build four new Metro-North Railroad stations in the East Bronx that would also serve to benefit Westchester commuters by connecting the New Haven Line to Penn Station directly. To get this vital project back on the track, Amtrak must agree to align work schedules and scope of the project and allow the MTA reasonable access to Amtrak-owned tracks and right-ofway. This agreement has yet to occur due to Amtrak’s demands for the MTA to pay more than its fair share. The MTA will already be carrying most of the expense of upgrades, including rebuilding the Pelham Bay Bridge, and Amtrak would be the beneficiary of track improvements and operational flexibility, under-grade bridge improvements, and power, signal and communications upgrades. This standoff puts the entire project in jeopardy—at the expense of thousands of riders. (Submitted)
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