Uptown Pols Want Amtrak Billboard Torn Down

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — A trio of Uptown Manhattan politicians are calling on Amtrak to tear down a recently-installed billboard that has "fundamentally altered the skyline" of the Washington Heights neighborhood.

City Councilman Mark Levine, Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Borough President Gale Brewer sent aletter to Amtrak President and CEO Richard H. Anderson demanding that the transit agency demolish a billboard over the tracks at West 155th Street between Riverside Drive and the West Side Highway.

Politicians and residents have criticized Amtrak since the first signs of the billboard appeared in February, saying that the transit agency performed zero outreach in the community before going forward with construction. Levine, Espaillat and Brewer want an immediate teardown of the structure, according to the letter sent to Anderson.

"The view from West 155th Street up the Hudson to the GW Bridge is one of the most iconic in NYC," Levine said in a statement. “By allowing the installation of this billboard, Amtrak has sullied that view without a word of community input or advance notice. Our community rallied a few weeks ago to demonstrate that our neighborhood is united in calling for this billboard’s removal, and that we believe we deserve a chance to provide input before Amtrak makes decisions that dramatically impact our quality of life.

The rally in opposition to the billboard was held in late March.

The area where West 155th Street meets Riverside Drive is one of the best spots to take in views of the Hudson River because it's an elevated platform. The spot offers clear views of Fort Washington Park and the George Washington Bridge to the north.

Uptown residents feel like the billboard issue is a sign of continued disrespect to the Upper Manhattan communities that Amtrak runs its trains through. Locals also called out the transit agency for its role in spraying pesticides that caused thousands of dollars in property damage to a community garden in Harlem.