Playland and Kensico Lots Open for New Haven Line Commuters
Beginning Monday morning, two temporary parking areas have been designated by Westchester County to give railroad commuters on the New Haven Line access to trains on the Harlem Line at the White Plains and North White Plains Metro North Stations. Free parking and free shuttle buses will be provided from the parking areas at Playland in Rye and Kensico Dam Park in Valhalla.
Commuters who park at Playland will be taken to the White Plains train station, about 10 miles away. Commuters who park at Kensico will be taken to the North White Plains station, just over a mile away.
Under a plan coordinated with Metro-North, both parking areas will open at 4:30 a.m.daily and shuttle buses will start running at 5 a.m. Shuttle bus service will continue throughout the day. The focus will be on the morning and evening commute and the schedule will be assessed daily.
Service on the New Haven Line has been substantially reduced due to power problems that arose Wednesday. Repairs are currently underway by Con Edison.
The parking lot at Playland, where the amusement park has closed for the season, has spaces for 1,500 cars. At Kensico Dam Park, parking can be established for up to 600 cars by using the grass field.
County Executive Robert Astorino said he was in regular communication with the MTA and Con Edison to monitor commuter problems and the repairs that are under way. The county will be reimbursed by Metro-North for its costs, Astorino said.
The White Plains Bus Company has stepped up to get commuters between Kensico and the North White Plains station.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
