By Dan Murphy
Editor’s Note: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority garage on the Yonkers waterfront has been an issue for more than a decade, or as long as the city has plans, visions and dreams for the riverfront north of the Yonkers Train Station. That vision has become a reality, with Extell developers now building residential units along Alexander Street.
Under Mayor Mike Spano, Yonkers has been able to move forward with this project, so the time is appropriate for the MTA to relocate its garage off the waterfront. The process will take time, including finding a suitable relocation for the garage, but let that project begin.
In response to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent announcement to relocate a tow pound off of New York City’s waterfront, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is now asking Cuomo to also support Yonkers’ long-time push for New York City to relocate its MTA bus garage in Yonkers, which occupies nearly 4 acres of prime waterfront real estate.
“For over 20 years, New York City has housed its MTA bus lot, tax free, on our pristine waterfront without any benefit to our city and without any effort to work with us,” said Spano. “For the great reasons the NYPD tow pound should be moved off Manhattan’s shoreline, so should the MTA bus garage be moved from the Yonkers’ shoreline. I am asking Gov. Cuomo to support our efforts in our discussions with New York City. It’s time to give Yonkers back its waterfront.”
The MTA operates the bus garage, located on Alexander Street and Babcock Place, yards away from the Yonkers shoreline in the single most valuable stretch of the Yonkers waterfront. Eighty buses are fueled, maintained, and rest on the site and only serve New York City-based routes, and do not serve Yonkers or Westchester riders. Over of the last eight years, New York City and the MTA have refused to have meaningful discussions with Yonkers officials about the relocation of its bus garage to any location other than where it lies today.
Yonkers’ efforts to conduct master planning for the waterfront area are impeded by the presence of the MTA bus garage, which is exempt from paying property taxes to Yonkers. The bus garage blocks the necessary extension of public roadways and infrastructure to serve the burgeoning waterfront, prevents natural routes for public access to the expansive waterfront promenades, and undermines the value and quiet enjoyment of the properties being developed in its vicinity.
“This bus garage serves no purpose to Yonkers residents or its visitors, it obstructs additional economic development that will continue the revitalization of our waterfront,” said Spano.
Earlier this week, Cuomo announced that the NYPD has until the end of the year to relocate the tow pound on Pier 76 in Hell’s Kitchen to make way for the pier’s redevelopment and provide for green, open space.
“It’s apparent Gov. Cuomo places a priority on giving New York’s waterfronts back to local communities,” concluded Spano. “I ask he provide Yonkers the same courtesy and bring some sanity to this issue so that Yonkers can continue with its unprecedented waterfront growth. My message is clear to New York City: Stop taking Yonkers taxpayers for a ride.”
