Metro-North RR settled; gov, pols work out Amtrak agreement
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Schumer after the deal was reached.
The U.S. Senator said its great news
for commuters, and that they should
benefi t from reduced travel times and
increased reverse commute options.
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
also hailed the news, stating it was incredibly
welcome and would allow the
mass-transit expansion of the four stations
to move forward, something that
had been in question just days before at
the January 18 press conference.
“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,”
said Diaz.
The borough president added that
the agreement would not have been possible
without the help and support from
Governor Cuomo and Senator Schumer,
along with “thousands of Bronx residents
and commuters across the region
who spoke up in recent months to demand
delays cease and negotiations resume.”
Schumer said that the MTA and
Amtrak may also seek to improve the
Pelham Bay Bridge, (over the Hutchinson
River) which is over 100 years old,
in order to accommodate increased
rail traffi c on the new Metro-North and
Amtrak lines.
Councilman Andy King said that
having a Metro North station in Coop
City would be incredibly helpful for
working families in terms of reducing
commute times.
For his constituents, King said, a
new Metro North Station in his district
would mean “peace of mind, being able
to spend more time with your family,
and being able to get around without
spending a quarter of a day on transportation.”
Bailey said that the issue was one
Amazon’s ‘last-mile’ delivery station coming to Hunts Point
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BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 62 ANUARY 25-31, 2019 BTR
Local elected offi cials joined U.S. Senator Charles Schumer to call on Amtrak to be more
fl exible with providing rail line access to the MTA for proposed new Metro North stations in
the borough. Photo courtesy of CM Gjonaj’s offi ce
of great importance because working
people in the community need more
access to reliable transportation, and
that he was happy a deal was fi nally
brokered.
“Co-op City is home to approximately
50,000 residents, many of whom
work in Manhattan,” said Bailey. “Currently,
there is only one express bus that
provides Co-op City residents transportation
to and from Manhattan.”
Gjonaj said before the deal was announced
that he believed that the impasse
was a result of a negotiating
strategy on Amtrak’s part to maximize
what it could gleam from the deal, and
stressed the importance of eliminating
further delay.
“The lack of reliable mass transit is a
reality for far too many Bronxites,” said
Gjonaj after the MOU was announced.
“I was proud to stand with community
leaders and demand that Amtrak and
MTA come back to the table and fi nd a
workable solution.”
“I am greatly encouraged about the
announcement that Metro North and
Amtrak came to an agreement,” said
Benedetto, adding that he was grateful
for any intervention that Governor
Cuomo may have provided. “We look
forward to the building of the four stations,”
said Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto.
Attending a press conference with U.S. Senator
Charles Schumer, who called for Amtrak
rail line access on Friday, January 18 in Coop
City’s Section 5, opposite the Pelham
Bay Bridge for trains and Amtrak’s rail line,
were (l-r) Councilman Andy King, Senator
Jamaal Bailey, Senator Shelley Mayer from
Westchester county and Councilman Mark
Gjonaj. Schneps Media / Patrick Rocchio
Additionally, Innovo Property
Group and Square Mile Capital purchased
the former site of Whitestone
Multiplex Cinemas at 2505 Bruckner
Boulevard in 2018 with plans to develop
a multi level 840,000 square foot
facility for ‘last mile’ deliveries.
A Modell’s Sporting Goods distribution
center on Bassett Avenue is being
marketed for an e-commerce lastmile
distribution center, according to
another published report.
MRP Realty and AEW Capital Management
recently purchased the warehouse
leased by Amazon for its delivery
station on Viele Avenue, along
with a sister warehouse at 1301 Ryawa
Avenue, for $26 million dollars.
The source at Amazon said that the
company would be hiring associates to
staff the facility, as well as employing
technology it uses throughout its distribution
process as it continues to innovate
and invest in faster delivery.
Once a package arrives at an Amazon
Delivery Station, of which there
are approximately 75 throughout the
country, it is sorted into routes, that in
the of the case of the Hunts Point center,
will be handled by drivers who are
part of two programs that help Amazon
deliver packages.
One of the programs is known as
Delivery Service Partners, a business
arrangement with small businesses
that fulfi ll package deliveries for the
company using drivers that typically
work a regular weekly four to fi ve day
schedule, said the Amazon source.
The second program, known as
Amazon Flex, is for independent contractors
who set their own hours and
can make extra cash, up to $18 to $25
an hour, delivering packages, stated
the company source.
Amazon Flex allows fl exibility to
drivers, some of who may be stay-athome
parents with children in day
care or school. It also permits the company
to scale up or down its work force
more easily based on consumer demand
at any given time.
“These delivery stations really allow
us to speed up delivery to customers
by putting these facilities closer to
the where the deliveries are going,”
the source said.
These facilities typically generate
hundreds of employment opportunities
including full-time and part-time
associates, independent contractors,
and small-business contractors, according
to Amazon.
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce’s
president, Lisa Sorin, stated that while
A future Amazon delivery center is coming to 1300 Viele Avenue in Hunts Point.
Schneps Media / Patrick Rocchio
these types of facilities are not new in
the borough, “this is defi nitely welcomed
news.”
“It means more jobs, training opportunities
and resources,” stated
Sorin, adding “I choose to see the good
in these projects.”
Sorin also stated that the traditional
“brick and mortar businesses
remain vital to our borough.”
Various offi cials with a stake in the
Hunts Point community said they are
still gathering preliminary information
about the plan.