Inwood is set to undergo a renaissance in the coming years, fostering new businesses and jobs, along with affordable housing and new access to the Harlem River waterfront. Yet while existing transit takes residents to the central business district in Lower Manhattan, there are no subway options into the Bronx. Today, the Bx12 Select Bus Service is one of the top five most heavily used routes in the city, taking residents from Inwood out to Orchard Beach.
Converting this route to subway service would not only connect residents on a rare east-to-west stretch, but also connect many existing transit lines, including commuter rail, which is set to increase its service to the Bronx in the coming years. A new train would connect the A train, 1 Train, Hudson-line Metro-North at University Heights, 4 Train, B and D Trains, Connecticut-line Metro-North at Fordham University, 2 and 5 Trains and terminate at the 6 Train. The service would connect regional rail and subways that travel to disparate areas throughout the city. With an ambitious plan, we could even connect riders to Orchard Beach, a cherished open space that is tough to reach without a car.
A new subway line between Inwood and Orchard Beach would give residents and commuters the transit options they deserve.
The line would add rare transit connectivity in the Bronx, offering quick access to key points like Fordham University, the Bronx Zoo, the NY Botanical Garden, business corridors at Fordham Road, and the Bay Plaza Shopping Center. With Inwood ready to take off, it would provide transportation to an up-and-coming business hub. Heavy traffic along Fordham Road will become a distant memory for riders and residents–those who drive from Northern Manhattan to the central and eastern portions of the Bronx will no longer have to make such an inefficient trip.
This is a key corridor offering vital connections to disconnected communities with few transit options. We think it has great potential!
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