Carmel, NY – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the grand opening of a customer parking lot at the Metro-North Railroad Croton Falls station. The new lot includes 450 spaces, along with ten charging units for electric vehicles. As part of the project, sidewalks were constructed, and lighting was installed along Croton Falls Road to safely guide customers from the lot to the station. 

The parking lot alleviates congestion around the station from customers parking along Croton Falls Road. During the planning stage of the project, there was close coordination with the New York State Department of Environmental Protection and Metro-North Environmental Compliance, as the parked vehicles were leaking fluid into a nearby watershed. 

“This is a welcome addition for many of our Putnam County residents who rely on the Croton Falls train station in their daily commute,” said Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne. “I remember participating in project discussions with my former Westchester Assembly colleagues years ago when this specific project was discussed and advocated for. This long-awaited new parking area brings a strong regional benefit to both Putnam and our friends from Westchester, and we’re glad to see it finally completed. Thank you to the MTA and Metro-North for this investment in our community’s infrastructure. This will not only improve safety for commuters that no longer have to park on the street, but it will increase access and provide a quality-of-life boost for those who take a trip on Harlem Line.” 

“This is part of our efforts to make the railroad more convenient for all to use,” said Metro-North Railroad President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “The Upper Harlem Line is unique in that stations attract customers from multiple municipalities. A brand-new customer lot will make the Croton Falls station a more attractive connecting point to get to New York City.” 

Metro-North’s Upper Harlem Line between the Southeast and Goldens Bridge stations draws customers from overlapping geographies covering eastern Westchester County and southeastern Putnam County due to an existing road network and limited railroad customer parking availability in the area. The 450-space lot will help alleviate on-street parking concerns and provide parking for another 250 vehicles to accommodate current and future customers. 

In the past, Metro-North has been able to address station access and parking shortfall issues on the Harlem Line through a systematic approach resulting in the construction of the North White Plains station garage and expansion of parking at the Goldens Bridge station. In keeping with this proactive approach, a detailed study of transportation conditions and parking utilization was undertaken by Metro-North to better understand the parking and pedestrian situation in the vicinity of Croton Falls. 

"Access to modern parking facilities is essential if residents are to use Metro-North trains for their daily commute or for recreational purposes," said New York State Senator Pete Harckham. "In addition to convenience, trains have the potential of reducing thousands of tons of greenhouse gases by taking cars off the road that would otherwise be used for daily transportation." 

"The new commuter parking lot at the Croton Falls station is a significant step towards making our transportation system more accessible and convenient for all commuters,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “I applaud the addition of ample parking spaces and charging units for electric cars, which are not only addressing parking concerns but also promoting sustainable transportation."