Queens’ ‘transit desert’ is growing as fast as its population
Despite more rapid population growth, Queens has the least amount of subway lines per 100,000 people than Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. No borough served by the subway is shortchanged to the extent that Queens is. For instance, Queens has 81 stations, compared to Brooklyn’s 170 and 148 in Manhattan. Only the Bronx has fewer stations, 70, but that borough has nearly 900,000 fewer people than Queens’ 2.3 million and it’s less than half the size. In fact, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz calls the borough a “transit desert.” And with more construction cranes hovering over Queens than ever, commutes are likely to become worse before they get better.
