“This is a historic day. After 170 years of systematically neglecting New York City residents, trains coming down the New Haven line will finally provide service to Bronx residents. This is an important victory for residents, students, and commuters in Fordham. It is long overdue and I am proud to have worked with Senator Gustavo Rivera to call out this inequity and demand change,” said Stringer.
“But today is just the beginning. The New Haven line bypasses five additional stations in the Bronx as well as Harlem-125th Street — that’s not only unacceptable, it’s discriminatory. Moreover, while there are 41 commuter rail stations in the five boroughs, they receive highly irregular service and their impossibly high fares lock out most working New Yorkers. If we want to eliminate vast transit deserts in the Bronx and Queens, improve job access, and invest more thoughtfully in sustainable transit, then we need to reduce in-city commuter rail fares within the five boroughs to the price of a MetroCard, allow free transfers with the subway and bus, ensure that every station is ADA accessible, and dramatically increase service frequencies — especially on the weekends and weekday off-peak.”
To read Comptroller Stringer’s report on opening commuter rails to New York City residents, click here.