By Michael V. Cusenza
Students and community advocates on Wednesday delivered over 1,500 petition signatures to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams urging City Hall and the MTA to advance the QueensLink proposal. Students also released “QueensLink Now: A Report from the Next Generation of Riders” at the LIRR Bridge at 63rd Drive and Alderton Street in Rego Park.
The proposal is a grassroots plan devoted to the reactivation of the 3.5-mile Rockaway Beach Rail Line to provide a new north-south subway option through central and southern Queens. According to the New York Public Interest Research Group, Queens residents face some of the longest and most frustrating commutes in the country, with average travel times exceeding 45 minutes each way—nearly double the national average. Despite being the Big Apple’s largest borough by area and second-largest by population, only about 27 percent of Queens residents live within walking distance of a subway station, compared to over 75 percent in Manhattan. In central and southern neighborhoods like Glendale, Ozone Park, and Howard Beach, it can take up to a staggering 90 minutes to reach Midtown Manhattan, even though these communities are just 10 to 12 miles away.
Courtesy of QueensLink
Before-and-after view, looking north along the linear park on top of the steel viaduct at 101st Avenue in Ozone Park.
NYPIRG noted this week that 2025 has brought renewed attention and progress in regards to the QueensLink project. In January, QueensLink received a $400,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities program (with a $100,000 local match), launching a comprehensive impact study. And in April, a Town Hall event hosted by NYPIRG at Queens College and featuring QueensLink staff saw strong grassroots engagement, with students and residents contributing anecdotal data and personal stories for the report.
The report—produced collaboratively by students and advocates—captures the frustrations, hopes, and priorities of borough residents. It also features a petition signed by over 1,500 students, demanding a full Environmental Impact Statement to move QueensLink forward.
