Interborough Express

Credit: MTA

October 16, 2025

Interborough Express enters environmental review process

The environmental assessment for the transformative Interborough Express (IBX) has officially begun, bringing the long-anticipated transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens one step closer to reality. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the start of the review process under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), marking another major milestone for the project after it entered the preliminary engineering and design phase in August. The MTA will host two in-person public meetings to outline the project scope and review process on October 29 and November 6, followed by a virtual session on November 12.
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MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

Credit: MTA / Trent Reeves on Flickr

July 31, 2025

MTA awards $166M design contract for Interborough Express

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express is one step closer to bridging numerous transit-deprived neighborhoods across Brooklyn and Queens, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday approved the project’s full design. At its monthly board meeting, the MTA awarded a nearly $166 million design contract to the joint engineering venture Jacobs/HDR, according to amNY. The two-year agreement will begin preliminary design development and includes a "comprehensive scope of work"—such as surveys, geotechnical and environmental investigations, and structural inspections—to move the project forward.
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70,000 new homes could be built along Interborough Express with zoning changes

View of the Bay Ridge Branch, which would be incorporated in the proposed Interborough Express. Adjacent to the Fort Hamilton Parkway station. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

June 27, 2025

70,000 new homes could be built along Interborough Express with zoning changes

By Aaron Ginsburg

More than 70,000 new homes could be built within a half-mile of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) train line through land-use changes. Outlined in an analysis released Thursday by the New York Building Congress, and first reported by the New York Times, implementing land use changes could lead to the development of tens of thousands of new homes within a 10-minute walk of the 19 stops along the 14-mile light rail line, with the potential to exceed 100,000 units over a decade. However, these changes would face many obstacles, as the IBX will run through diverse neighborhoods with varying residential densities and local willingness to welcome new homes.
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MTA to host open houses for Interborough Express

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

March 18, 2025

MTA to host open houses for Interborough Express

By Aaron Ginsburg

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.
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MTA moves forward with design of Interborough Express project

Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

October 30, 2024

MTA moves forward with design of Interborough Express project

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express, a proposed public transit connection between Brooklyn and Queens, is one step closer to becoming a reality. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the preliminary engineering and design phase of the 14-mile light rail line and began an environmental review with the federal government, according to Bloomberg. The initial phase is expected to take roughly two years to complete.
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Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

View of the Bay Ridge Branch from below 5th Ave, which would be incorporated in the proposed Interborough Express. Image courtesy of Marc A. Hermann/MTA on Flickr

January 11, 2023

Hochul’s 14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ connecting Brooklyn and Queens will use light rail

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Interborough Express, a highly-anticipated train line that will connect Brooklyn and Queens, will use light rail, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State address on Tuesday. While the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still conducting its environmental review of the project, Hochul stated that selecting light rail would "provide the best service for customers at the lowest cost per rider," according to a press release.
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14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ route between Brooklyn and Queens moves forward

Image courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

January 21, 2022

14-mile ‘Interborough Express’ route between Brooklyn and Queens moves forward

By Aaron Ginsburg

A public transportation project that could ease the lives of thousands of New Yorkers is gaining momentum. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the completion of a feasibility study for the Interborough Express, moving the project into its next phase of development. The feasibility study yielded promising results, revealing that the new line could serve anywhere between 74,000 and 88,000 riders a day while connecting to 17 subway stops and the Long Island Rail Road. From its start in Bay Ridge to its final stop in Jackson Heights, the route would take 40 minutes.
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Hochul announces 14-mile-long ‘Interborough Express,’ connecting Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights

Image courtesy of the MTA

January 6, 2022

Hochul announces 14-mile-long ‘Interborough Express,’ connecting Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights

By Aaron Ginsburg

After decades of speculation and discarded plans, better train access could be on the way for New Yorkers living in Queens and Brooklyn. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced in her 2022 State of the State address plans for the development of the "Interborough Express," a major transit service expansion that would connect the boroughs. The proposed expansion takes the Bay Ridge Branch, a freight rail line that already runs through Brooklyn and Queens, and transforms it into a 14-mile arching track stretching from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights. The new track would link up to 17 existing subway lines across the two boroughs, as well as provide a connection to the Long Island Rail Road.
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Interborough Express

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