Massive and rapid trips between southern Brooklyn and central Queens is the promise of the projected “Interborough Express” transportation service.
“Proud to announce that we are moving forward with a great project of transit in the city of New York: the new Interborough Express Tram. This line will connect Brooklyn and Queens, reducing commute times and facilitating connection to Metro lines along the route,” Governor Kathy Hochul posted yesterday on Twitter.
La new transit line announced, which until now only exists on paper, could transport users from Bay Ridge (Brooklyn) to Jackson Heights (Queens) in 40 minutes or less and connect up to 17 Subway lines and improve links with Manhattan, he summarized NY1 Noticias.
The idea is to take advantage of a freight rail line of 000 miles currently underutilized. But the “Interborough Express Tram” must overcome many financial and structural questions, among others, before beginning its construction. Hochul said that a “feasibility study” by the MTA has been completed and with that he can move on to his next stage, which is environmental review and community involvement.
New authorities such as Mayor Eric Adams and his successor as president of Brooklyn, Antonio Reynoso, have shown their support. “Interborough Express may finally make it possible to reduce car dependency in many Brooklyn neighborhoods,” said the Hispanic politician.
The MTA estimates that the new line would carry up to 88,000 passengers per day. Agency President Janno Lieber told reporters Thursday that the transit line would be priced in “single-digit billions of dollars,” and that construction would take three to five years, beginning after of a federal environmental review of approximately two years, limited New York Post.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards is also in favor. “For too many Queens families and communities, the inability to travel between boroughs quickly and efficiently has been an unnecessary detriment to economic health and, frankly, the ability to grow,” he said. “By transforming these existing freight lines, connecting Bay Ridge and Jackson Heights we can connect thousands of families in each county while reducing travel times.”
The “Interborough Express Tram” is a plan that has been in the air for decades and would still require many steps to materialize. It could even suffer the same fate as the controversial AirTrain project at LaGuardia airport, recently suspended due to complaints between neighbors and politicians, including Governor Hochul herself, alleging environmental and noise impacts, despite the fact that it had received the green light from the Federal Administration of Aviation (FAA) and the Port Authority (PANYNJ). Works were scheduled to begin this year and be inaugurated in 2025.