The Sloatsburg Train Station is a sleepy secret that draws hikers and bikers to the area and is a bonifide boon for local commuters. Both quaint and convenient, the Sloatsburg Station doesn’t have the significant structure that Tuxedo does. But the Sloatsburg platform is located in the village center, an easy walk to surrounding stores and restaurants. The train station is an important anchor for Sloatsburg’s nascent pedestrian corridor.
This past winter, commuters worked with the Village of Sloatsburg to reach out to Metro-North Railroad about getting a shelter bench. The letter apparently got lost in a wintry mix of activity.
Recently the village sent off another letter to Mark Mannix, senior director of corporate and public affairs at Metro-North Railroad, to check up on the issue, along with a call to NYS Senator David Carlucci’s office.
Almost immediately the issue got resolved. This past Thursday, a contingent of MTA officials made a trips to celebrate the installation of the train station shelter bench, including Metro-North Commuter Council Vice Chair Randy Glucksman and NY State Senator David Carlucci and Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright.
The bench may seem small but is actually a big deal for Sloatsburg commuters.
Sloatsburg doesn’t have the agency to make improvements on its own to the train station, so the speedy cooperation of the MTA is essential.
Thanks to a team effort from Sloatsburg Mayor Carl Wright, NY State Senator @DavidCarlucci, MTA Board Member Randy Glucksman and #MetroNorth, Sloatsburg Station customers can now relax on a brand new bench located in the platform shelter. @Sloatsburgny pic.twitter.com/7R6E2O9sZm
— Metro-North Railroad (@MetroNorth) August 6, 2019
The village is in the planning stages to develop a new municipal park with parking across the street from the Sloatsburg Train Station, along Mill Street at Municipal Plaza.
The proposed park, as envisioned, should provide Sloatsburgers and visitors alike with a major component to the village center pedestrian corridor, helping connect commuters to Village Walk and Route 17 while giving the village a nice attraction.
Sloatsburg was awarded a federal rural economic development grant that will go towards helping to partially fund the park and additional village parking.
This will be nice after my next long hike! @Sloatsburgny Mayor Wright, could you also build a real crosswalk across Route 17 at Municipal Plaza, so I can patronize more of your village businesses while I’m waiting for the train? https://t.co/qBeoCzNFvo
— Cap’n Transit (@capntransit) August 6, 2019
And to answer Cap’n Transit, yes, the crosswalk at Route 17 and Municipal Plaza will get an overhaul during the New York Department of Transportation Complete Streets project (2020 or 2021?), and will include pedestrian triggered cross walk signals and an assortment of other improvements and beautification.
Oh yeah, and a little more to the point of the tweet, one reason I use Tuxedo is because of the little train depot, which is especially great when it’s like zero degrees outside. It’s also a safe walk to the closest trailhead. NY-17 crossing is okay but could be better.
— (((Michael Eric “Rosey” Rosenthal))) (@Mrele11) August 6, 2019
