Interborough Express (IBX)
Env. Review14-mile light rail line connecting Brooklyn Army Terminal (Bay Ridge) to Jackson Heights, Queens along the existing Bay Ridge Branch freight right-of-way, linking to 17 subway lines and the LIRR without passing through Manhattan.
Alignment Map
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Alignment is approximate.
Alignment
The Interborough Express would create a new 14-mile light rail line connecting the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Bay Ridge to Jackson Heights, Queens, largely reusing the existing Bay Ridge Branch freight right-of-way. With 18–19 stations, it is designed to link up to 17 subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road without requiring a trip through Manhattan, serving a travel market that currently has no direct rapid transit connection.
The MTA formally selected light rail transit as the project’s mode in January 2023, after earlier concepts that included street-running segments were dropped in favor of a fully grade-separated alignment. The project is now in design and environmental review, with about half its funding secured through the MTA’s 2025–2029 Capital Plan.
Updates
2025 — Design contract awarded, environmental assessment advances
A Jacobs/HDR joint venture was awarded a $165.98 million design contract, and the MTA commenced formal environmental assessment of the project, with ridership estimates revised upward from 115,000 to 160,000 weekday riders.
2023-01 — Light rail selected as project mode
The MTA formally selected light rail transit over earlier alternatives after removing street-running segments from the design, resulting in a fully grade-separated alignment.