3 Ways Transit Access Strengthens a Multifamily Investment

Key Points

• Arbor Realty Trust provided $104.5M in construction financing in August 2026 for 2 South Main, a 322-unit mixed-use development near Port Chester, NY's Metro-North station.

• 74% of New York-area renters say living near public transit is a priority in their apartment search, and transit access outranks highway proximity nationally, a recent Apartments.com survey revealed.

• Rental housing near mass transit stations often commands rent premiums, since transportation access tends to fuel development and create new revenue streams.

Multifamily investors have long chased population growth and job centers, and renters are increasingly prioritizing easy transit access. Arbor Realty Trust's financing of 2 South Main, a 322-unit mixed-use development rising directly beside Port Chester, NY's Metro-North station and walkable downtown, demonstrates this trend. For multifamily investors, proximity to transit matters because it can influence renter demand, household affordability, and the surrounding neighborhood’s development potential.

A 2025 Apartments.com survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults in the rental market found that 74% of New York City respondents call proximity to public transit a priority in their apartment search, and that nationally, transit access outranks highway proximity as a search priority. Port Chester's stop on Metro-North's New Haven Line puts 2 South Main squarely in that demand pool.

1)      Transit Expands the Renter Employment Base

A direct rail connection turns a local commute into a regional one. At 2 South Main, a 45-minute ride to Grand Central puts Midtown Manhattan easily within reach of a Port Chester address.

For multifamily owners, that means a property isn't dependent on a single local employer or industry to fill units. Easy access to regional transportation gives renters more entry points to larger markets with a wider variety of employment opportunities, making an apartment’s location more attractive.

2)      Lower Transit Costs Support Affordability

Transportation is typically a household's second-largest expense after housing, a relationship the Center for Neighborhood Technology built its Housing and Transportation Affordability Index around. This savings improves affordability for the renter, while a prime location tends to bolster the property’s investment potential.

A resident who trades a car payment, insurance, and gas for a Metro-North pass has more room in their budget to put towards quality housing, while owners of a transit-adjacent property, like 2 South Main, benefit from being to be able to price rent above comparable units farther from the station.

In Dallas, apartments within a half mile of a DART light rail station command a 10% residential rent premium over comparable properties farther out, according to the University of North Texas Economic Research Group's September 2025 analysis.

3)      Transit-Oriented Districts Attract Investment

The public sector’s commitment to transportation infrastructure in an area often translates into an uptick in private investment. Port Chester adopted a form-based zoning code in 2020 specifically to encourage transit-oriented development in its downtown.

The pattern shows up at scale in other parts of the country, too: UNT's Economic Research Group tied $1.93 billion in total economic impact and roughly 9,400 jobs to development activity near DART stations in Dallas-Fort Worth over a recent three-year period. Public commitment to a transit corridor tends to compound the private investment that follows it.

The Takeaway

Transit access supports and strengthens a multifamily property’s appeal to renters by connecting residents to broader employment opportunities, reducing dependence on automobiles, and positioning a property within high-quality neighborhoods.

At 2 South Main, those advantages converged: direct Metro-North access, a walkable downtown, and local zoning designed to encourage ongoing growth, all meaningful differentiators that make the property attractive to renters and owners.

For more multifamily insights and research, visit Arbor.com and Traded.co.