What you should know
- The Interborough Express Line is a major transit expansion that would connect up to 17 subway lines, serve nearly 1 million commuters daily, and generate significant economic growth.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday, as part of her comprehensive speech on the New York State Situation Address, that she had directed the MTA to begin an environmental review process for what she described as a “transformative” new line. which is now brewing for decades.
- Hochul has also asked the agency to identify the best transportation option (train or bus rapid transit) to transport New Yorkers along an existing 14-mile freight right-of-way from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to Jackson. Heights, Queens.
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NEW YORK – Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights in 40 minutes or less? More subway connections to Manhattan? It could become reality.
Those are just a few of the benefits of Governor Kathy Hochul’s Interborough Express Line, a major transit expansion that would connect up to 17 subway lines, serve nearly 1 million commuters daily, and generate significant economic growth.
The Democrat said Wednesday, as part of her comprehensive speech on the New York State Situation Address, that she had directed the MTA to begin an environmental review process for what she described as a “transformative” new line that now It has been brewing for decades.
Hochul has also asked the agency to identify the best transportation option (train or bus rapid transit) to transport New Yorkers along an existing 14-mile freight right-of-way from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to Jackson. Heights, Queens.
Las paradas en el camino incluirían Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Maspeth y Elmhurst.
According to the state, the line would serve a corridor that currently houses 900,000 residents and 260,000 jobs, with an expected growth of at least 41,000 people and 15,000 jobs over the next 25 years. Both Brooklyn and Queens rely heavily on public transportation, the data shows, and 57% and 36% of households in Brooklyn and Queens, respectively, are carless.
Public transportation between Brooklyn and Queens has long been a slow and tedious process, with the existing subway lines into Manhattan and the G subway line the only one transporting passengers directly between the two boroughs. The Interborough Express would also complement Manhattan transit with new fast and reliable connections, according to Hochul. She says the corridor would connect up to 17 subway lines, in addition to the Long Island Rail Road, expanding access to jobs for the 85,000 daily commuters from those areas who work in Manhattan.
Nearly 130,000 commuters in or through Brooklyn and Queens, now relying on buses stuck in traffic or that cross-county subway line, to reach their destinations would also reap extreme benefits.
Hochul included six key benefits of the flagship project in his state of the state, including:
- Faster trips: a new service would provide end-to-end travel time of less than 40 minutes, providing significant time savings for travel between Brooklyn and Queens compared to existing transit options.
- Best service: the Interborough Express could attract between 74,000 and 88,000 passengers on weekdays, attracting more than 2 million new trips annually to public transport.
- Greater access to work: The planned line would connect residents and workers to the LIRR and up to 17 metro lines, significantly expanding access to jobs and services throughout the metropolitan area.
- Greater equity: the line would provide a new service where 71% of residents are people of color and 33% are below 1.5 times the federal poverty line
- Economic development: In addition to creating new jobs, the new line will connect large shopping malls in Queens and Brooklyn, including the Jackson Heights and Middle Village shopping centers, supporting small businesses and providing a foundation for further economic development.
- Accelerated project completion: Because the Interborough Express will be built on top of an existing freight right-of-way, the project can be completed much faster than starting from scratch, while preserving the rail corridor for freight use.
It is unclear how long it would take to complete the MTA review process, much less the entire project. But Hochul says the initial investment is a critical component of the state’s way forward.
“It is time to invest in bold and cutting edge infrastructure projects that will make a real difference in the lives of everyday New Yorkers,” he said in a statement. “New Yorkers deserve reliable public transportation that connects them from work to home and anywhere in between. The Interborough Express would be a transformative addition to Brooklyn and Queens, reducing travel time and helping neighborhoods and communities become cleaner, greener and more equitable. “
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