Daily News from New York, New York • 175

Thursday, August 17, 1989 ML MJ 1 nn IJU StiRijldM? onf nYnrfffl" rrnrrfH" I byjoelsiecel Borough President Fernando Ferrer, Metro-North decided to spruce up the station, keep it open, and review the issue this summer. Now the decision has been made to retain the station. Marketing goals "This decision is based on Metro-North's over-all marketing goals and the railroad's plans to market railroad service throughout the Bronx," said Constantine Si-damon-Eristoff, the chairman said Metro-North spokesman Daniel Brucker. "It's a high maintenance station." The Melrose stop is on Metro-North's 77-mile Harlem Line, which stretches from Grand Central Terminal to Dover Plains in Dutchess County. Melrose is Metro-North's southernmost station in the Bronx.

The other Harlem Line stops in the borough are Fordham, Botanical Gardens, Williams Bridge, Woodlawn, and Wakefield. of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro-North Committee. "In the near future, staff will be meeting and working with Bronx officials and members of the business community to begin informing the public of the railroad services available in and to the Bronx." Vandals active A lack of riders is not the station's only problem. The Melrose stop also has "a very serious vandalism problem," Daily News Staff Writer A little-used railroad station in the South Bronx that was doomed to oblivion has been granted a reprieve. Officials of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad said yesterday that it had decided, after all, not to shut its Melrose Station at 162d St and Park Ave.

The railroad wanted to close the station last year, saying fewer than 25 riders a day used it. But at the request of Bronx 1 MV -r-e mt- Wife s3t -Jfe -vtESfc Hi" I 9 i.etir a -1 I By JOEL SIE6EL Daily News Staff Writer Ridership on the Metro-North Commuter Railroad increased about 2 in the last year to 890,000 passengers a week, officials said yesterday. That is the highest level in 40 years, dating back to the days when Metro-North's operations were run by the New Haven Railroad and the New York Central Railroad. Metro-North officials attributed the increase to expanded parking at suburban stations, a railroad rebuilding program, and the addition of more trains. Encouraging report Officials said the news was particularly encouraging because the increase occurred at a time when the city's economy had brought no additional jobs and commuters to Manhattan.

The 2 jump in riders occurred during the 12-month period that ended last spring. By comparison, rider-ship on the Long Island Rail Road inched up only 0.8 in the first six months of 1989, while New Jersey Transit ridership declined 1.5 in the first five months of the year. On Metro-North, rush-hour ridership increased almost 2, weekday off-peak ridership rose 2.6, and weekend ridership increased 3.1 in the past year. Total ridership between stations other than Grand Central Terminal and 125th St increased 4, as did commutation to suburban employment centersWhite Plains, Greenwich, Stamford, and South Norwalk. Perhaps most surprising, ridership on trains arriving at Grand Central between 6 and 7 a.m.

jumped 28. "People are working longer hours. They are coming in earlier," said Howard Permut, Metro-North's director of planning. With the most recent increase, ridership has risen a total of 18 over the last five years. St.

are Bronx Parks Commissioner Jim johnwhn daily news teers in the installation of the fences. The work is expected to take from six to seven weeks. Ferrer said that he was thankful that the carpenters have become partners in the boroughwide effort to get rid of junk-strewn lots in the Bronx. He said the fencing pro-' gram and the cooperation the Bronx Corps has been getting from communities and agencies shows that "People care about our borough they're with us all the way in our effort to give it a face lift." greenery," he added. McGuinness said, ''We're excited by the long-awaited rehabilitation of the Bronx, including the housing construction and the growing economic resurgence and now this beautification project We're glad Ferrer has come along and taken charge of this campaign." Grass-roots movement He called the Bronx Corps "a great grass-roots movement," and said that the council has assigned a full crew of apprentice carpenters to supervise the volun E5? Sft ty Ave.

The Bronx Corps is an organization made up largely of youthful volunteers. It performs such tasks as the lot cleaning and fencing program with help of neighborhood and other volunteers. 60 lots eyed Corps Director Roberto Ramirez said the project's goal is clean up 60 abandoned lots in the borough. However, he said, not all of the lots will be fenced in because of a lack of city funds. "We will, however, change the look of our borough with CARPENTERS INSTALL fence around a cleaned-up lot at University ana Tremont Bronx.

Looking on Ryan, Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and Paschal McGuinness, of the carpenters' union. Boro clean-up plan helps a lot By JOHN LEWIS Daily News Staff Writer The Bronx got a slight facelift this week when the New York City District Council of Carpenters joined the Bronx Corps in a beautification project to clean and fence in vacant lots throughout the borough. At University and Tremont Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer and District Council President Paschal McGuinness got together. Tuesday to supervise the installation of picket fencing along the newly-cleaned median on Universi-.