NYC’s IBX light rail line gets funding under MTA plan, but construction remains years off

The Interborough Express — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed 14-mile light rail that would run between Brooklyn and Queens — advanced on Wednesday after the MTA released its latest five-year construction plan.

The project — nicknamed the IBX — would repurpose a set of freight tracks from Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights for passenger service. The line would have 19 stations, connect to 17 subway lines and service several of the city’s most glaring transit deserts, slashing commuting times for tens of thousands of New Yorkers. Hochul has promoted the line as a response to post-pandemic commuting patterns, with fewer New Yorkers traveling to and from Manhattan.

The MTA has proposed spending $2.75 billion on the project over the next five years, which officials estimate will cover roughly half its cost. The remaining funds are not expected until after 2030.

“We’re at the beginning stages of environmental review and design. So part of the next step is determining exactly how we would proceed with the project,” Jamie Torres-Springer, the MTA’s president of construction and development, said on Tuesday.

Torres-Springer said the MTA is “confident that having 50% of the funding available means that we can make a very good start on getting into contracting and getting the project on,” and noted the transit agency also secured a $1 million federal grant this week to look at “innovative financing tools” for the project.

Like the rest of the MTA’s proposed construction plan, the future of the IBX hinges on Hochul and state lawmakers finding at least $33 billion to fund all the agency’s planned projects. The governor’s June order to pause congestion pricing left a significant funding gap in the MTA’s construction plan, forcing officials to delay $16.5 billion in projects.

An MTA official last year warned that the agency would prioritize fixing the city’s existing transit infrastructure before building any new lines like the IBX.

MTA Chair Janno Lieber said at a news conference on Wednesday that the IBX would be transformative for areas of the city with poor transit access.

“More than 60% of IBX corridor residents commute within Brooklyn and Queens rather than Manhattan,” Lieber said. “A more direct connection will give them time back with their families.”

The concept for the IBX dates back decades. The Regional Plan Association in 1996 initially proposed a “Triboro” line, which would connect Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx over the Hell Gate Bridge. Hochul scaled back the idea in 2022, proposing the line as a Brooklyn-Queens connector only.

The MTA board is slated to vote on the agency’s construction plan next week.