MTA Announces Blueprint to Protect Metro-North Hudson Line Against Climate Change
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Views of the Hudson Valley along the Metro-North Hudson Line during autumn on Monday, Oct 14, 2024.
Bear Mountain Bridge.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The MTA announced a plan to protect the Metro-North Hudson Line infrastructure from the future effects of climate change, including stormwater runoff and flooding.
According to the release from the MTA, this initiative is called the Metro-North Hudson Line Climate Resilience Blueprint, and it will seek to “rebuild critical infrastructure – including culverts, drainage, retaining walls, slopes, shorelines, and track.” Specifically, the Blueprint will focus on a 20-mile stretch of the line between Riverdale and Croton-Harmon. Additionally, the Blueprint will include guidance on the best course of action to protect the entire line. The report states this guidance includes “target track elevations, standards for waterfront shoreline improvements, and performance criteria for drainage.” The Blueprint came as a “flagship project” from the 2025-2029 Capital Plan that the MTA says was a “direct outgrowth of the findings” in its Climate Resilience Roadmap. The Blueprint builds on the MTA’s current commitment to on-budget and on-time projects.
On April 23, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the MTA will host an Open House on the Blueprint and Capital Plan at the Hastings-on-Hudson Library. Here, the MTA Construction & Development will give a presentation on the plan with time for questions from the public.
“Securing the next generation of great public transit along the Hudson Line means investing in infrastructure to protect Metro-North from climate change,” said MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “The Hudson Line Climate Resilience Blueprint will give us a clear path to make our service stronger and more reliable, and we’re excited to share our vision with the commuters who depend on it.”
“By the 2050s, 80 percent of the Hudson Line will be at increased risk of flooding due to rising sea levels and more frequent severe weather events,” said Metro-North President Justin Vonashek. “The Hudson Line is a key economic driver for the Hudson Valley and it’s important that we make these crucial investments to protect the future of not only the railroad, but the entire coastal area.”
