Queens To Brooklyn Train Proposal Back On Track, Hochul Promises

QUEENS, NY — Gov. Kathy Hochul said she wants to get a long sought subway line between south Brooklyn and Queens "rolling down the track."

At her first State of the State address in Albany on Wednesday, Hochul directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to begin an environmental review of her "Interborough Express" proposal — a transit line that would stretch from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights along 14 miles of defunct Long Island Rail Road freight lines.

"The Interborough Express would be a transformational addition to Brooklyn and Queens, cutting down on travel time and helping neighborhoods and communities become cleaner, greener and more equitable," Hochul said on Wednesday, noting that her infrastructure investments will help better connect neighborhoods of color where infrastructure has promoted inequity.

The Interborough Express, for instance, will serve around 1 million daily riders, according to the MTA, many of whom live in transit-starved neighborhoods like East Flatbush, Brownsville, and Maspeth.

First proposed in 1996 as a 16-mile long subway spanning between Brooklyn and the Bronx, the project — then dubbed the Triboro — has been long-awaited.

In 2020, the MTA considered a modified version of the line between Brooklyn and Queens but funding became a major obstacle. Federal money could help solve that problem, MTA brass said recently — a point that MTA acting chair and CEO Janno Lieber said again after Hochul's Wednesday announcement.

"We are enthusiastic to work with her, and Federal and State partners to advance the Interborough concept," he said, noting that the project "smartly" utilizes existing railroad tracks to create a new train line. The route could also serve freight transport, cutting down on congestion and pollution, as part of the long-awaited Cross Harbor Rail Freight Tunnel, Hochul said.

Other officials closer to home, in Queens, applauded the project, too.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards commended the governor for her focus on "outerborough connectivity" and communities, noting that the project would "connect thousands of Queens and Brooklyn families to new employment opportunities in each borough."

As proposed, the 40-minute end-to-end train line would connect up to 17 subway stations and other Long Island Rail Road stops.

State Senator Jessica Ramos, whose district includes neighborhoods that the train will service, said she is glad to see how the project will "reconnect communities of color in a profound way," but urged Hochul to take it a step further — through the rest of northwest Queens and the Bronx.

Longtime Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, who represents a large swath of northwest Queens, is among the only officials to speak out in opposition to the project ("at this time"), citing concerns about "safety" and what she says is a lack of local input in the project process.

"I want to ensure those I represent are included in the process, as they understand transportation needs between the boroughs better than any plan coming from Albany," she said.

Huge Ma, who is running against Nolan on progressive partially transit-focused platform, however, said he supports the Interborough Express as a sustainable transportation option.

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