Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Transit is scarce enough already in the United States. Then we make it even less accessible by surrounding stations with parking.

In this year's Parking Madness tournament, we're getting a look at how, even near transit stations, parking takes up huge amounts of space, squandering opportunities for walkable development. So far, parking craters by transit stations outside St. Louis and Boston are through to round two, and voting is open until tomorrow afternoon in the San Bernardino vs. Chicago match.

Today we have two Metro-North station areas facing off, one on the Hudson Line and the other on the New Haven Line -- it's Poughkeepsie vs. Fairfield.

Poughkeepsie

poughkeepsie_train_station

Reader Jay Azruwent went to college in this New York town. Above you can see the immediate surroundings of its train station. The parking around the Metro-North stop is symptomatic of a broader problem downtown, he says:

Poughkeepsie was unfortunately hit with a large amount of urban renewal in the 1950s' through 60s'. The Poughkeepsie Central Business District was ripped apart and replaced with large surface parking lots. The city is trying to redevelop them but I think that the public shame of Parking Madness will help the county with the process.

Fairfield

fairfield_metro

In Connecticut, this recent addition to the New Haven Line was supposed to catalyze walkable development, but that hasn't happened, says reader Sandy Johnston:

Fairfield Metro opened in 2011 as an infill station on Metro-North's New Haven line (I used to watch construction during my trips between college in NYC and friends in New Haven). Intended, in part, to spur dense development in the surrounding area, the station has instead basically only functioned as a park-and-ride with a giant 1,500-space parking lot. Between developers missing the cratering market for large-scale office parks in Fairfield County and NIMBYism, the supposed TOD district around the station remains largely in stasis almost six years after opening.

You can vote below until Friday at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

parking_madness_2017

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Eric Adams’s ‘Dept. of Sustainable Delivery’ Isn’t Actually A Department

The "Department of Sustainable Delivery" will launch with 45 "peace officers" in 2028, the mayor said on Monday.

July 7, 2025

New Air Quality Stats Dispel Earlier Forecasts for Congestion Pricing Pollution

Air quality has improved or remained steady across the five boroughs since congestion pricing launched in January, city health department data showed.

July 7, 2025

‘Rush’ Routes Debut in Queens Bus Map Overhaul More Than Five Years in the Making

The MTA's new "rush" routes make fewer stops in busy downtown areas to avoid wasted time merging in and out of traffic.

July 7, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Run This Town Edition

The 34th Street busway is the latest casualty of the mayor's lack of a spine on transportation issues. Plus more news.

July 7, 2025

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025
See all posts