Res 0187-2024

Whereas, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA or the Authority) is the largest transportation system in the United States, including the nation's largest bus fleet; and Whereas, In an effort to help slow climate change and serve as a model for other diesel fleet operators, MTA has committed to replacing and transforming its entire bus fleet of 5,800 vehicles with zero-emission vehicles by 2040; and Whereas, By adopting a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040, MTA buses could avoid over 500,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year and provide New Yorkers with quieter, exhaust-free bus rides; and Whereas, As part of MTA's transition to zero-emission bus fleet, the Authority will focus on in-depot charging using high-capacity chargers and through exploring on-site battery storage and solar power generation; and Whereas, According to the Authority's 2023 MTA Zero-Emission Transition Plan, a significant number of bus depots are expected to require major modifications and upgrades to accommodate zero-emission buses, and MTA may need to expand, reconstruct, or acquire new facilities; and Whereas, In March 2022, MTA released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to facilitate the development of an electric bus depot charging facility on Gun Hill road, at 1910 Bartow Avenue, in the Baychester neighborhood of the Bronx; and Whereas, MTA acquired the selected property in the mid-1980s by condemnation, for the purpose of constructing a large bus depot serving residents of the Bronx, however, due to budget constraints a smaller bus depot was constructed on part of the site; and Whereas, In July 2023, MTA announced that Madison Capital had been approved by the MTA Board to redevelop the 550,000 square-foot MTA-owned site; and Whereas, According to the MTA, Madison Capital will fund the construction of the MTA facility and pay substantial ground rent towards MTA capital needs; and Whereas, According to the Bronx Times, Madison Capital's lease will last 99 years, with the company expected to pay rent with revenue generated from the development; and Whereas, According to MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick, Madison Capital will develop the site into an industrial facility focused on "sustainable urban development with uses that will complement MTA's electric vehicle charging facility"; and Whereas, According to Community Board 12 district manager George Torres, the Community Board was not approached by the MTA about the plan; and Whereas, There have been concerns from residents surrounding the proposed site about the effects the new bus depot will have on residents and schools in the area, and concerns whether the area will face any significant construction disruptions; and Whereas, In 2012, prior to MTA's current plan for the site, the City's Economic Development Corporation issued an RFP for the development of the property into a 400,000 square foot shopping center and housing complex, but the project was nixed by the City Council in 2017, and the plan expired in 2019; and Whereas, In 2014, the City conducted an Environmental Assessment Statement (EAS) for the planned development of this location and determined that the then-proposed project required the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); and Whereas, An EIS is a government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment and analyzes how a proposed project will affect housing stock, businesses, property values, local transportation, and noise levels; and Whereas, Conducting a comprehensive EIS for the proposed Gun Hill Road Electric Bus Depot Charging Facility would add an additional layer of transparency to the project and would examine whether the project would have any adverse effects on the surrounding community; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Gun Hill Road Electric Bus Depot Charging Facility. JPB LS #14745 2/15/24 12:51 PM