Overview

• The SEQRA review has begun for the Interborough Express, with in-person hearings on Oct. 29 at Brooklyn College and Nov. 6 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, plus virtual sessions on Nov. 12.
• The process will gather public input and move from a Draft Scoping Document to a draft Environmental Impact Statement, a phase that typically spans about two years.
• Preliminary engineering and design are proceeding in parallel with the environmental review, according to MTA officials.
• The proposed light-rail would run along an underused 14-mile freight corridor between Bay Ridge and Jackson Heights, add 19 stations, connect to 17 subway lines and two LIRR stations, and target a 32-minute end-to-end trip.
• The project is estimated at $5.5 billion, with roughly half funded in the MTA’s 2025–2029 capital plan; the agency projects about 160,000 daily riders and ongoing community debate includes concerns about displacement and gentrification.