The MTA has unveiled a rendering of the new electric train that will connect Brooklyn and Queens

The city’s public transportation scene may soon completely change as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) announced that it will allocate over $2 billion to pay for the first phases of the construction of the Interborough Express, a 14-mile light rail that will connect Queens and Brooklyn in 40 minutes.

IBX, as the project is being referred to, was first proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul back in 2022, when commuting pattern data showed that less and less New Yorkers were commuting into and out of Manhattan.

“We need to reconnect neighborhoods that were severed by asphalt highways, disproportionately impacting communities of color,” she said during her State of the State Address then. “Stronger rapid transit in Brooklyn and Queens is long overdue. Both boroughs have exploded with residents in recent years, and these communities rely heavily on public transportation.”

As of now, the line would run along an existing freight rote from Jackson Heights to Bay Ridge. According to Gothamist, it would service 19 stations and connect to 17 different subway lines, effectively revolutionizing commuting traffic patters and expanding access to the outer boroughs. 

As exciting as the project sounds, it’s still a long way from reality: the MTA’s just-announced financial allocation would only cover about half of the project’s $5.5 billion cost. 

What’s more, officials don’t expect to have all the capital in place until after 2030. Given the enormity of the project and how much it will affect average New Yorkers’ day-to-day lives, we are confident it will all be worth the wait.