The Interborough Express (IBX) is arguably the most exciting transit project proposed in New York City in a generation. By utilizing an existing, underused freight rail corridor owned by CSX and LIRR, the MTA plans to connect Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens, slashing commute times between the boroughs without requiring riders to travel through Manhattan.
However, enthusiasm among transit advocates is colliding with the reality of MTA capital construction timelines and funding deficits.
The Current Status
In early 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the MTA would proceed with the Light Rail Transit (LRT) option for the IBX, rejecting conventional heavy rail (subway) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The LRT option was chosen because it allows for slightly tighter turns and the ability to run briefly on the street to bypass a heavily constricted tunnel beneath All Faiths Cemetery.
Currently, the project is in the environmental review phase, a notoriously lengthy process governed by NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act).
The Timeline
- 2023-2025: Environmental Review and Preliminary Engineering.
- 2025-2027: Final Design and Procurement.
- 2027: Earliest possible start of construction.
- 2032-2035: Highly optimistic opening date.
The Funding Gap
The project is currently estimated to cost $5.5 billion. However, the MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan is already facing massive funding shortfalls due to the suspension of Congestion Pricing. Without the $15 billion in bonded revenue that Congestion Pricing was slated to provide, the MTA must prioritize state-of-good-repair projects (like signal modernization and basic track maintenance) over expansion projects like the IBX.