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MTA outlines Interborough Express benefits and next steps at Brooklyn Borough Board meeting
Summary
MTA briefed the Brooklyn Borough Board on the Interborough Express (IBX), a proposed 14-mile passenger corridor with 18 stations expected to double access to jobs and services near several stations; MTA said a draft environmental impact statement will be released later this year and that property acquisitions are expected to be minimal.
At a June 2 Brooklyn Borough Board meeting, MTA staff presented an update on the Interborough Express project and answered questions about design, environmental review, property acquisition and local hiring. Jordan Smith, the MTAdirector for the IBX planning effort, described the proposal as "a transformative new project connecting Brooklyn and Queens" and said the corridor would include 18 proposed stations across 14 miles.
The project, the MTA said, would use an existing rail asset now used for freight and would not have passenger and freight trains sharing tracks. Smith said the MTA expects about "160,000 daily riders" and estimated an end-to-end travel time of "about 32 minutes." Katarina Ptorii, from the Transit Government Community Relations team, said staff have held design workshops and outreach that will inform the next phases.
Why it matters: MTA analysis presented to the board projects the IBX would substantially increase the amount of land and the number of jobs and services reachable within a 30-minute transit trip from new stations. Officials said the project could improve access to employment, health-care facilities, child care, higher education and cultural institutions for many Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods.
Key details provided by MTA: the authority said it owns most of the corridor (about 11 of 14 miles), with a northern three-mile portion owned by a private freight carrier; environmental review is underway and the agency is preparing a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to be released this fall; and the two-year design phase should carry into mid-2027. Smith said the MTA is "minimizing residential acquisition wherever possible" but acknowledged there will be a small number of acquisitions in limited circumstances.
Board concerns and MTA responses: members pressed MTA staff on station siting and transfers, flood and stormwater risk, electrical-grid impacts, encroachments, and workforce commitments. In response to one question about a previously proposed stop, MTA staff confirmed that the IBX station at Sutter was removed from their plans and reiterated that some transfers will remain out-of-system but free. On flooding, MTA said it is starting from scratch on design and will incorporate stormwater retention and detention and coordinate with the Department of Environmental Protection to avoid shifting burdens to nearby communities. On electrical power, MTA said the project will not draw from the residential grid in the same way and that Con Edison is engaged early in planning.
Local hiring and contract terms: board members repeatedly pressed for stronger local-hire and MWBE commitments. MTA staff said it is too early to specify final hiring percentages before construction procurement, but pledged to return with details when construction RFPs are issued and to work with community boards on workforce pipelines. MTA also said prevailing-wage and state program requirements will apply when federal or state funds trigger particular rules.
Next steps: MTA will publish a draft EIS later this year and continue community workshops and pop-up outreach through the summer. The agency said it is taking community feedback on safety, construction impacts, transfers, and neighborhood effects into account as it completes design and prepares for future procurement and construction phases.
