New Rochelle Looks To Experts For An Ambitious Transit Center Future

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Plans are in the works to make New Rochelle's regional transportation hub as impressive as the mass transit options available in the city.

The City of New Rochelle has announced the selection of FXCollaborative to transform the downtown train station and transit center.

"We are thrilled to announce the selection of a design consultant to reimagine the New Rochelle Transit Center Station and Campus," Mayor Noam Bramson said. "This project represents a major opportunity to create a community hub connected to surrounding neighborhoods and provides venues for public events and activities. We believe this initiative will significantly impact our city and our region, particularly as Penn Access is poised to increase traffic to and through the New Rochelle Transit Center."

The city noted the New Rochelle station is the single busiest stop on the Metro-North New Haven line. While New Rochelle’s historic train station has been a centerpiece for generations, the city’s unprecedented downtown growth and development mean that it's time for transit faculties to keep up with that progress.

Through the re-envisioning of its transit hub, the city hopes to take a big step forward in increasing access and options for mobility — while also making New Rochelle more attractive, convenient, pedestrian and bicycle-oriented, and even better connected.

"The partnership with FXCollaborative represents a major step forward in our efforts to create a more accessible and connected downtown area.," City Manager Kathleen Gill said. "By improving walkability and enhancing transportation options, we are creating a more livable and sustainable city that benefits everyone who lives, works, and visits here."

FXCollaborative is an architecture, planning, and design firm with extensive experience in designing transportation hubs and urban landscapes and a reputation for using that expertise to create sustainable and accessible public spaces.

"The FXCollaborative team is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the City and residents of New Rochelle on the planning and design that will transform the New Rochelle Transit Center to a center for the community and make it a more efficient, beautiful, and equitable experience for all— the place where everyone will want to be," FXCollaborative's John Schuyler said.

According to transit officials, the New Rochelle train station currently sees more than 6,000 outbound riders per weekday, and is one of just two Amtrak station stops in southern Westchester. That number will increase significantly with the completion of the MTA’s Penn Access project in 2027, which will make New Rochelle the only city to offer direct access to both the East and West sides of Manhattan.

Planners said the project will take a holistic look at the entire transit center campus- from Station Plaza North to South, and from North Avenue to Memorial Highway and Division Street- as well as the West End neighborhood connection. The improved transportation and walkability is expected to create a valuable connection to New Rochelle’s cultural highlights, including community events and dining. The transit center will itself become a destination for various community events, joining the successful annual holiday market.

The historic New Rochelle Train Station, originally built in 1887, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It has since undergone several renovations and expansions. Today, the station serves as a major transportation hub for the city, with connections to the Metro-North Railroad, Amtrak, and local bus service.

The redesign of the transit center is envisioned to complement other ongoing major initiatives such as "The LINC," which will transform a heavily trafficked highway into a walkable, bicycle-friendly street and linear park. The LINC development process is a significant investment to provide safe convenient connections between the Lincoln Avenue Corridor, and the transit center and downtown.