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Hochul’s Interborough Express proposal gets some
positive reviews from Queens leaders, but not all
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to bring public transit to a dormant freight line between Queens and Brooklyn has
been well received by many Queens officials. QNS fi le photo
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | JAN. 14 - JAN. 20, 2022 15
BY BILL PARRY
When former Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed his
push to build the controversial $2.1 billion LaGuardia
AirTrain last spring, state Senator Jessica Ramos
drew a line in the sand. Cuomo wanted to move
the project forward during the COVID-19 pandemic
to take advantage of reduced traffic and travel volume
at the airport.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in April 2021, Ramos
blasted Cuomo and his proposal one year after
the pandemic ravaged her district.
“My neighbors need a hospital. They need good
jobs so that they can put food on their tables,” Ramos
said. “We can’t eat the AirTrain.”
One year later, Gov. Kathy Hochul has put the
brakes on the LaGuardia AirTrain project and instead
announced during her State of the State address
Wednesday, Jan. 5, that the MTA would move
forward with a shorter version of the Regional Plan
Association’s Interborough Express, which would
activate a long-dormant 14-mile freight rail line connecting
Queens and Brooklyn.
Hochul directed the agency to identify the best
mode of transportation — heavy or light rail or rapid
bus transit — that would provide faster commutes
to tens of thousands of Queens residents living in
Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and
Jackson Heights.
“The proposed revival of at least part of the Regional
Plan Association’s Triborough Express tells
me that my community was heard in our rally
against the LaGuardia AirTrain,” Ramos said. “After
I organized support from my colleagues in the
Senate, the governor paused the plan and now has
offered an exciting, viable solution to address the
transit deserts that plague Queens and Brooklyn. I
applaud the governor’s willingness to take on big infrastructure
projects.”
Each day, more than 100,000 commuters make
daily trips within or across Queens and Brooklyn,
often relying on buses that get caught in traffic along
a tangled and crowded street network, according to
the governor’s office, which added that the Interborough
Express would provide end-to-end travel time
in less than 40 minutes.
“The overall health of any urban community, especially
one as large and diverse as Queens, is heavily
dependent on the reliability of its public transportation
system. But for too many Queens families
and the communities they call home, the inability
to travel between boroughs in a quick and efficient
manner has been an unnecessary detriment to
their economic vitality,” Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards said. “By transforming the existing
freight line running between Bay Ridge and
Jackson Heights into a public transit option, we can
connect thousands of Queens and Brooklyn families
to new employment opportunities in each borough,
while dramatically cutting commute times in the
process.”
If adopted, Interborough Express would improve
transit and job access to underserved communities
along the corridor that is currently home to
900,000 residents and 260,000 jobs, according to the
governor’s office.
Queens Chamber of Commerce President and
CEO Tom Grech and his Brooklyn counterpart Randy
Peers put out a joint statement calling the proposal
a win-win for both boroughs.
“The plan is a critically important opportunity
that will create efficient and safe transit modes to
connect neighborhoods and business districts that
for far too long have been isolated by transportation
deserts, while at the same time making New Yorkers
less reliant on congestion-causing cars, equally benefiting
our economy and environment,” they said.
“We look forward to working with the Hochul administration,
the MTA, public agencies and elected
officials to expedite the planning and review process
to make this a reality as quickly as possible.”
While waiting to see more details on the project,
Councilman Robert Holden likes the idea of transit
options for his constituents in Ridgewood, Middle
Village and Maspeth.
“Since much of our district is a virtual public
transit desert, it’s exciting to revisit this idea,” Holden
told the New York Post. “More transportation
would be very helpful. We need a thorough study.”
But Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, who represents
much of western Queens and lives in Ridgewood
herself, remains “deeply concerned” over the
proposal.
“It is unfortunate that no one briefed our office
or community,” Nolan said. “I opposed the privatization
of the Long Island Freight Line many years ago,
and there continues to be serious safety concerns. I
want to ensure those I represent are included in the
process, as they understand transportation needs
between the boroughs better than any plan coming
from Albany. I would oppose this project at this time
but, of course, await information from our governor
as to her vision to address the critical needs of
Queens.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry
@schnepsmedia.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.
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