The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today hosted the fifth in a series of Open Houses on the 2025–2029 Capital Plan from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the White Plains Public Library.
The Open House featured a presentation and conversation with MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer, Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi, Westchester County Executive and Chief Operating Officer Ken Jenkins, and Assembly Member MaryJane Shimsky. The panel discussion, moderated by the Business Council of Westchester Executive Vice President John Ravitz, covered details of the Capital Plan and the investments it makes in Metro-North Railroad, and what that means for the future of service and MTA riders.
“The 2025-29 Capital Plan will transform the way our riders move through Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and beyond,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “We’re grateful for the chance to tell them directly about how we’re fighting for the resources we need to maintain a world-class public transit system up and down Metro-North’s service area.”
“This event is a great opportunity to share with the Westchester County community what improvements they can expect to their trips on Metro-North Railroad as a result of these investments,” said Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi. “With investments in rail cars, stations, resiliency and critical state-of-good-repair work, this capital plan ensures riders can continue to count on Metro-North to get them where they need to go.”
The conversation was accompanied by an exhibition of informational posters and pamphlets explaining key elements of the Capital Plan. Agency representatives were on hand to answer questions from members of the public.
“I am pleased the MTA hosted an Open House at the White Plains Library so Westchester residents could hear about the investments the MTA is making to improve rider satisfaction and transit performance," said New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer. "Westchester residents, many of who rely on Metro-North, NYC Bus and NYC subways every day, deserve transparency about where their tax dollars are going and how the MTA's capital plan will impact service and performance. Thank you to the MTA and my governmental colleagues for participating in this important panel discussion.”
"Uninterrupted train service to the city, and reliable bus and subway service once there, are absolutely essential to the residents of my suburban district,” said Assembly Member MaryJane Shimsky. “The MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan addresses urgent needs for maintenance and improvements throughout our mass transit system — including projects to protect the Hudson Line from storm flooding and sea-level rise. These are projects we need to undertake in the near term if, in the most literal sense, we are to keep the Hudson Line from going under water.”
“Investing in our transit infrastructure is investing in the future of Westchester County,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “The Metro-North Railroad is a vital lifeline for our residents, connecting communities, supporting local businesses and ensuring economic growth. The MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan makes critical improvements that will enhance reliability, accessibility and sustainability for all riders. I appreciate the MTA for bringing this conversation directly to Westchester and engaging the public in these important discussions.”
“The Business Council of Westchester (BCW), the county’s largest business membership organization focusing on economic development and advocacy, strongly supports a new five-year capital plan for the MTA that will include important and critical investments in transit infrastructure,” said Business Council of Westchester Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Ravitz. “It is imperative that as we look to recruit and retain businesses in Westchester County, we have a reliable and safe transportation system. The BCW looks forward to working with our legislative leaders in Albany as they negotiate intelligent funding options for the new five-year capital plan.”
The MTA has previously co-hosted Open Houses in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The MTA co-hosted an Open House with Representative Jerry Nadler, State Senator Liz Krueger, and Assembly Member Alex Bores in Manhattan at Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall on Oct. 21. State Senator Leroy Comrie, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, City Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and City Council Member Nantasha Williams co-hosted an Open House in Jamaica at the Queens Public Library on Nov. 13. Representative Dan Goldman, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, City Council Member Lincoln Restler and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso co-hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Nov. 21, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson co-hosted an Open House at the Bronx Library Center on Dec. 16.
The Capital Plan is a historic $68.4 billion investment in the region’s subways, buses, railroads, bridges, and tunnels over the next five years that ensures New Yorkers continue to have access to reliable, accessible, and sustainable transit. It includes targeted investments to rebuild, improve, and expand the transit system, and will enable the MTA to continue to provide frequent and reliable service by putting the system on a path to a state of good repair, including investments in railcars, power, and signals.
The plan will also improve the customer experience, with investments in accessibility, stations, and modern fare gates, and take action on climate change, including resiliency and sustainability initiatives. The 2025-2029 Capital Plan builds on the most detailed system-wide evaluation the MTA has ever undertaken, the Twenty-Year Needs Assessment.