By Michael V. Cusenza
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday announced it will host a series of Open Houses on the Interborough Express throughout the spring.
The first Open House will take place on Thursday, March 27, at Queens Public Library in Ridgewood from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the project.
The Open House will feature a short presentation followed by an exhibition of informational posters explaining key elements of the project. Agency representatives will also be on hand to answer questions and discuss comments and concerns.
The MTA will host additional Open Houses on Thursday, April 3, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at South Shore High School in Canarsie; on Tuesday, April 22 at Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park, Brooklyn from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and in Jackson Heights on Thursday, May 8 at Renaissance Charter School from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. The authority already has hosted more than 35 project meetings with elected officials, stakeholders and the public. The MTA has previously held three virtual and five in-person open house meetings.
The project is part of the MTA’s $68.4 billion 2025–2029 Capital Plan. Among the highlights of the plan is the allocution of $2.75 billion for the Interborough Express. The IBX would transform a lightly used freight railway into a light-rail line serving almost 1 million nearby residents and connecting 17 subway lines, more than 50 bus routes and Long Island Rail Road, according to the MTA. The IBX line would provide fast transit service for dozens of communities from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights and neighborhoods in between, while preserving the existing freight service along the corridor. IBX will significantly cut travel times between Brooklyn and Queens destination – by 30 percent between Bushwick and Brooklyn Army Terminal, for example, or 35 percent between Flushing and Brooklyn College. MTA officials have said the IBX will “dramatically increase” transit options in historically underserved low-income communities – including communities farther away from the subway and LIRR system like East Flatbush and Maspeth – and give them better access to jobs, school and other opportunities.
The authority noted that it has already advanced conceptual engineering studies to reduce the project’s cost – for example, minimizing bridge reconstruction and reducing the size of stations. Further value engineering will be pursued during the upcoming project design phase.
“I talk a lot about MTA’s importance to the region, but it’s no exaggeration. For New Yorkers, transit is like air and water – we need it to survive. And as anyone who was around in the 1980s can tell you, better transit is one of the best ways to improve quality of life and economic opportunity in this region,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said in November. “The future rides with us.”
“The Interborough Express will give Brooklyn and Queens the fast, reliable, frequent public transit connection they deserve,” added MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “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.”
