19 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

New York, NY Post, 1/5/22:

 

 

    Gov. Hochul pitches new Brooklyn-Queens ‘Interborough Express’ rail service  

 

 

An underutilized 14-mile freight line would be converted into a new commuter “Interborough Express” service connecting neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens under a plan championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday.

 

Full story

[KevinKorell]

Astoria Post, 1/21/22:

 

 

     Proposed 14-Mile Mass Transit Line Connecting Queens and Brooklyn Moves One Step Closer   

 

 

The state’s plan to connect Queens and Brooklyn via a mass transit line has taken a major step forward with the release of a new feasibility study.

 

More

[CNJRoss]

Gothamist, 1/19/22

 

Bronx Residents Say They're Left Out of Governor’s Inter-Borough Express

 

 

When Governor Kathy Hochul revived a nearly 30-year old transit idea to use freight tracks running from southern Brooklyn through Queens for a new passenger rail line, she did not include the Bronx, which had been part of a proposal originally laid out by the Regional Plan Association. 

 

Now, some Bronx residents are pushing back, saying they would also like a quick connection to the other boroughs. 

 

A direct route to Queens, other than the bus, would be a boost to the economy, according to Maria Torres, president of The Point — a Bronx-based community development corporation.

 

“It's a little unfortunate that that was taken out,” she said. “There's economic opportunities. There's jobs.”

 

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

Interborough Express: New York's Own Overground?

 

Jan 21, 2022

 

RMTransit

 

Special Thanks to Jason Robinowitz for providing photos for this video!

 

[CNJRoss]

Railway Age, 1/21/22

 

Will NYMTA Launch Brooklyn-Queens ‘Interborough Express’ Rail Service? (UPDATED)

 

 

A proposed 14-mile “Interborough Express” transit service could use the existing Bay Ridge Branch freight line—owned by MTA Long Island Rail Road and operated by New York & Atlantic—and CSX’s Fremont Secondary line to link communities in Brooklyn and Queens that are not currently served by rail.

 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to move forward on a proposed Interborough Express service running from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens; a yearlong study confirms service feasibility.

 

During her first State of the State address on Jan. 5, Gov. Hochul announced plans for the 14-mile Interborough Express. She and MTA on Jan. 20 released a study on the service, which would use the existing Bay Ridge Branch freight line—owned by MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and operated by New York & Atlantic—and CSX’s Fremont Secondary line. (Download study below.)

 

Interborough-Express-Interim-Report_1-20-2022Download

 

The study indicates that it is “physically feasible to accommodate passenger traffic alongside the existing freight rail traffic; that there is significant demand; and that Bus Rapid Transit, Light Rail, and conventional Heavy Rail” are all potential service modes, according to MTA. (“Heavy rail,” according to an industry source close to the project, would not be rapid transit.)

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

The City, New York, NY  1/23/22

 

Interborough Express Plows Through Past Opposition to Rail Line Reactivation

 

 

 

Renderings of a possible Interborough Express transit line connecting Queens and Brooklyn.

 

 Kathy Hochul/Twitter

 

The presidents of Brooklyn and Queens have linked up behind Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push to bring public transit service to an underused freight line in the heart of their boroughs — but not every official on the 14-mile route is cheering.

 

On Thursday, Hochul revealed the findings of a fast-tracked feasibility study that found bus rapid transit, light rail or commuter-style service would all potentially work, layered with the existing line, providing service from Bay Ridge in Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens.

 

“We’re missing that logical connection,” Hochul said on Thursday at a news conference at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, where the freight tracks end — . . .

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Second Avenue Sagas, 2/9/22:

 

 

   THE INTERBOROUGH EXPRESS IS KATHY HOCHUL’S CROWNING PROJECT, IF SHE WANTS IT BADLY ENOUGH    

 

 

When Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support last month for a truncated version of the RPA’s 25-year-old Triboro RX proposal, I was surprised. If it survives a gubernatorial election this year, your garden-variety NIMBY opposition and a lengthy review and planning process, the renamed Interborough Express — a 14-mile circumferential route that will connect Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights using an existing freight rail corridor — will become a welcome addition to the city’s transit-scape.

 

Continue

[CNJRoss]

amNY, 3/24/22

 

MTA’s Interborough Express could be mix of commuter rail and subway train

 

 

The MTA’s Interborough Express from Brooklyn to Queens could look like a blend of New York’s commuter railroads and the city’s subway train cars, should officials decide to go with the rail option for the mass transit vision, rather than buses or trolleys.

 

The proposal, also known as the IBX, is still in its early stages and transit officials have yet to say whether the best option will be conventional rail, light rail, or a bus rapid transit system. The former could end up resembling the London Overground in the U.K., according to MTA’s Senior Vice President for Regional Planning Michael Shiffer.

Continue here.  

[CNJRoss]

RT&S, 3/25/22

 

Could Interborough Express and AirTrain connect en route to LaGuardia?

 

 

Two New York City rail projects could come together to establish one connection to LaGuardia Airport.

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Brooklyn-Queens train line could intersect with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s AirTrain to the airport. The Port Authority is trying to come up with alternatives to the AirTrain after receiving negative feedback from officials. Still, the option is among a group of 14 alternatives. The Port Authority will ask the public to weigh in by hosting two public workshops.

 

The proposed Interborough Express would use an existing 14-mile rail line between Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and western Queens near LaGuardia.

 

Two of the Port Authority’s alternatives could intersect with the Interborough Express at Jackson Heights. Another possibility is an overlap in Astoria.

Continue here.

 

Cross-posted:  

LaGuardia AirTrain Proposed

NYCT/Gov Hochul pitches new Brooklyn-Queens rail service

[CNJRoss]

NY MTA news release 

 

MTA to Hold Virtual Public Town Hall Meeting on Interborough Express

 

April 25, 2022 7:45 p.m.

 

Meeting to Be Held Online on Evening of Thursday, May 19

 

 

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced it will hold a virtual public town hall meeting on plans for an Interborough Express train linking Brooklyn and Queens using existing land alongside existing freight railroad tracks.

 

The project would be built along an underused rail line that connects Brooklyn and Queens composed of two parts, the MTA-owned Bay Ridge Connector freight line and CSX-owned Fremont Secondary, a 14-mile freight line that extends from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to Jackson Heights, Queens. The project would create a new transit option for close to 900,000 residents of the neighborhoods along the route, along with 260,000 people who work along the corridor in Brooklyn and Queens, connecting with up to 17 different subway lines, as well as Long Island Rail Road, with end-to-end travel times anticipated at around 40 minutes. Its projected initial ridership would be 74,000 to 88,000 weekday riders.

 

Members of the public will get a general overview of the project and have the opportunity to ask subject matter experts questions.

 

WHEN:

THURSDAY, May 19 at 6:00 p.m.

 

WHERE: 

Livestream feed will be available at: https://mta.zoom.us/u/keJkAoHsCN

 

BY PHONE: 

Members of the public can listen to the hearing by calling the Zoom webinar at 1-877-853-5247 (toll-free). Then enter Webinar ID 819 6195 2299, follow by the pound (#) sign. 

 

RSVP:

Members of the public who wish to ask questions are encouraged to register for the webinar meeting via project website. Questions can also be submitted in advance at this link: https://mta-nyc.cust...borough-express

 

For more information on additional ways to comment, request information, or to view a copy of the Complete MTA Program of Projects, the public is encouraged to visit the project website.