MTA unveils new way of entering Grand Central Madison
MTA officials show off a new entrance to Grand Central Madison at the southeast corner of East 45th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan on Friday. Credit: Marcus Santos
Long Island Rail Road commuters now have another way to get into and out of Grand Central Madison.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials on Friday cut the ribbon on a new entrance to the train terminal at East 45th Street and Madison Avenue. The entrance, which includes an elevator, three escalators and a staircase, is part of a broader development of the site that once housed the MTA’s headquarters.
The MTA is leasing the property to private developer BXP, which paid for the new entrance and has said it stands to make more than $1 billion over the course of the 99-year lease in rent payment and real estate tax revenues that will be invested in transit infrastructure.
For LIRR riders, the deal means a new way to access the 700,000-square-foot train terminal, which opened in 2023 and already handles about 70,000 LIRR riders per day, according to the MTA. Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA capital construction, said the entrance is the third of five being built as part of public-private partnerships with developers.
"You just need to stand on Madison Avenue for any amount of time during the morning or afternoon peaks and you can see what commuters want: convenient, accessible entrances that get them to their train without having to go too far out of the way or without having to wait around for too long," Torres-Springer said.
MTA chairman Janno Lieber said the new entrance will come in especially handy during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in July, as the LIRR encourages riders to use Grand Central Madison "just to avoid the crowds" that are expected there as many take NJ Transit trains from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
"What they’re going to find here is a first-class, world-class terminal," Lieber said.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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