Latimer Announces $50K Grant for Larchmont Station Tunnel

by Judy Silberstein

(December 15, 2006) New York State Assemblyman George Latimer, whose district includes Larchmont and Mamaroneck, has announced a $50,000 grant to help upgrade a pedestrian tunnel at the Larchmont Train Station. The portion of the tunnel goes under I-95 to connect the Manhattan-bound platform to Memorial Park in the Town of Mamaroneck.

A view of the pedestrian tunnel from 2005.

"Members of both the Larchmont Village Board and the Mamaroneck Town Council - along with commuters from both jurisdictions - have prioritized this project,” said the assemblyman. The tunnel was one of six capital projects that Assemblyman Latimer supported this year along with other “member items” he provided data on before the 2006 election. (See: Latimer Releases Data) The projects had received preliminary approval months ago, but now the funds have been released.

“Commuters deserve a modern, clean and safe tunnel. This capital grant of $50,000 should help the renovation process advance," said Assemblyman Latimer.

"We're all grateful to Assemblyman Latimer for his follow through on getting us this money," responded Mayor Liz Feld in an email. "It will go a long way in our effort to clean up the pedestrian tunnel, and will also dovetail nicely with the Metro North renovation and our forthcoming streetscape enhancement project in the Palmer business district." (See: Larchmont to Get $683K for Palmer Avenue Renovations.)

Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe said, “This is very, very good news that Assemblyman Latimer was able to secure the funds to renovate the tunnel to Memorial Park.” She recognized it was going to require “a big chunk of change” to clean the tunnel and deal with the standing water that typically collects there.

“We get constant complaints about its odoriferous and garbage strewn appearance,” said Supervisor O’Keeffe.

Complaints tend to be addressed to Mamaroneck Town officials because it is mainly Town residents who use the tunnel to get to and from the station. (See: Residents Petition to Improve Railroad Tunnel.) However, responsibility for maintenance belongs mostly to the ViIlage of Larchmont.

Larchmont officials, for their part, have questioned whether the tunnel’s problems are simply maintenance or part of a much larger structural issue that should be fixed by the New York Transportation Authority. But attempts to get the NY Authority to pitch in have proved unsuccessful, so Assemblyman Latimer has proposed - and now delivered on - the idea of looking elsewhere for funding. (See: Who Will Fix the Tunnel.)

“What the Village has to get a handle on now,” said Trustee Anne McAndrews, “is how much it is going to cost to fix whatever is causing all the seepage. Just repainting will not solve the problem – it will just come back.” As the assemblyman noted, the $50,000 grant will help but not completely solve the tunnel’s problems.

“We also have to come to grips with the continuing vandalism of the tunnel,” said Trustee McAndrews.

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