Overview
- The MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul released official station renderings Wednesday showing 18 mostly above‑ground light‑rail stops between Brooklyn Army Terminal and Roosevelt Avenue.
- The agency said the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be issued later this year, a step that will trigger public hearings and formal community review.
- The project repurposes the 14‑mile Bay Ridge Branch freight right‑of‑way to avoid extensive tunneling and speed construction planning.
- Officials pledged universal accessibility for all 18 IBX stations and committed specific upgrades for four connecting subway stations with target completion dates spanning late 2026 through early 2028.
- Riders would gain a cross‑borough trip of about 32 minutes with direct or adjacent transfers to 17 subway lines and the LIRR, while roughly half of the $5.5 billion cost is in the current MTA capital plan and the rest must come from future capital allocations or federal matching funds.