MTA to host open houses for Interborough Express
Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
New Yorkers, here’s your chance to learn more and ask questions about the Interborough Express (IBX) train line, a proposed project to connect Brooklyn and Queens by public transit. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced on Friday that it will host open houses to share information and answer questions about the IBX project. The first open house takes place at the Queens Public Library in Ridgewood on March 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The open houses will feature a brief presentation, followed by an exhibition of informational posters highlighting key elements of the project. MTA officials will also be available to answer questions and discuss any comments or concerns from attendees.
Open houses will also take place at South Shore High School in Canarsie on April 6, Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park on April 22, and Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights on May 6.
“The Interborough Express will give Brooklyn and Queens the fast, reliable, frequent public transit connection they deserve,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. “This project will transform mobility in New York’s two largest boroughs and we can’t wait to share our ideas with the New Yorkers who will benefit from it.”
Stretching 14 miles from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens, the IBX will repurpose the existing right-of-way Bay Ridge Branch rail line, connecting transit-deprived neighborhoods to 17 subway lines and 51 bus routes while significantly reducing travel times between the two boroughs, as 6sqft previously reported.
These neighborhoods include Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, and Elmhurst.
Plans for the IBX were first announced in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022 State of the State address, building upon decades of speculation and previous attempts to transform the pre-existing freight-rail Bay Ridge Branch, which runs between the boroughs, into a public train line.
In early 2022, the MTA conducted a feasibility study, which estimated that the completed IBX would serve between 74,000 and 88,000 riders daily. In January 2023, the MTA announced its decision to select light rail for the IBX, with Gov. Hochul stating that it would “provide the best service for customers at the lowest cost per rider,” according to a press release.
The plan has been revised in recent years to ensure the fastest and most affordable service, with the MTA opting for a design that utilizes a tunnel beneath All Faiths Cemetery on Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village, instead of a previous plan to place train cars alongside vehicular traffic.
The MTA had previously dismissed the tunnel idea, claiming that the existing tunnel beneath the cemetery was too narrow to fit both light rail and existing freight operations, and would require digging under people’s graves, according to QNS.
However, the MTA disapproved of the concept before actually engaging with cemetery officials. As reported by QNS, Brian Chevanne, director at All Faiths, said in January that the MTA had never reached out about the proposal, and he had previously endorsed running trains through the tunnel instead of the street.
This design would further reduce travel times by creating a dedicated right-of-way for the IBX, with initial plans to either expand the existing tunnel under the cemetery or create a new tunnel alongside it, as 6sqft previously reported.
The construction of the project is fully dependent on the approval and funding of the MTA’s $65.4 billion 2025-2029 capital plan, which allocates $2.75 billion for the IBX.
RELATED:
