Union Station is an important asset for New Haven, not only as a transportation hub, but also as a welcome center and economic catalyst. More than 700,000 Amtrak customers and more than 1 million Metro-North riders use Union Station every year. The City and State are pursuing policies to address the station’s commuter parking crunch as part of a comprehensive transit-oriented development program consisting of mixed-use commercial and residential developments within a half-mile of the station.

In conjunction with major new developments that re-link Union Station and the Hill neighborhood to Downtown, transit-oriented development at Wooster Square and resiliency planning at Long Wharf, Union Station is becoming a major center of gravity and reclaiming the front door to New Haven. With that in mind, the State of Connecticut, the City of New Haven, and Park New Haven are also collaborating on a "Moving Union Station Forward" plan, which calls for renovating the historic building, introducing a Connecticut-brand retail platform, and adding passenger amenities and new parking.