mta.info

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR IMPROVED ACCESS AT THE NORTH WHITE PLAINS STATION

In 2003, MTA Metro-North Railroad and Westchester County, in partnership, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), commenced preparation of a Planning Study and Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and other applicable regulations to analyze alternatives for improved station access and increased parking at MTA Metro-North Railroad’s North White Plains Station. Under NEPA, FTA is the federal lead agency and both Metro-North and Westchester County are the co-sponsors.

The Planning Study, completed in 2005, found that the most effective way to improve access to the station and meet future parking demand is to construct a multi-level parking structure on Metro-North or Westchester County property. This report is available on this website.

Following the issuance of the Planning Study report, Metro-North and Westchester County initiated the environmental review process for a multi-level parking structure and station access. Through further analysis and public scoping held in 2005, four "build" alternatives, all on the west side of the tracks and on property owned by Metro-North, were deemed physically feasible for providing improved parking and access for customers using the North White Plains station. These alternatives were subjected to an extensive evaluation of potential environmental benefits and impacts. A "no build" alternative, which provided for minor planned and funded improvements, was also analyzed.

All four "build" alternatives called for the construction of a five-level (ground floor plus four supported decks), approximately 1,300 space parking garage on the site of the existing surface lot on the southwest side of the station. The alternatives differed solely in the infrastructure improvements required to provide access to these new spaces. The costs to construct the garage and alternative infrastructure improvements were high (approximately $56 M - $92 M) and substantially beyond available funding. In most cases, the costs were driven by the expense of constructing new or expanded roadways either under or over the Metro-North right of way to provide access to the garage from the east side of the tracks. A status report regarding the west side efforts is available on this website.

Metro-North and Westchester County are now refocusing their efforts on a site located on the east side of the North White Plains station. The proposed project would involve replacing a 109-space customer parking garage which exists on the northwest portion of Metro-North-owned property at 525 North Broadway and which fronts Haarlem Avenue. It is anticipated that the proposed east side customer parking garage will be substantially smaller than the one considered for the west side of the station, holding up to 600 parking spaces, and that it can be constructed within the available funding.

The new east side customer parking garage is not planned to involve the construction of new roads, or expansion to existing ones. Furthermore, the potential for environmental impacts to parkland, wetlands or historic resources, which had existed with the west side alternatives, is removed with the change of the potential garage location. Therefore, Metro-North and Westchester County will prepare an Environmental Assessment in accordance with NEPA, which will focus its evaluation on potential traffic and community impacts. It is anticipated that this document will be available in late 2009 and that a public meeting will be held at that time.