How the Interborough Express Will Impact Local Populations

The Interborough Express project is a proposed transit line that will connect Brooklyn and Queens, running on a right-of-way currently used for freight rail. Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal envisions a rail line offering subway-like service, with 16 stations on a route that currently requires multiple bus transfers or a detour through Manhattan. 

In total, 323,786 people live within a ten-minute walk of the proposed stations. This report, prepared by the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management, includes six maps showing how the IBX will serve New Yorkers of diverse racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

The connectivity benefits of the Interborough Express will flow to neighborhoods with a diversity of economic standing, with poverty rates ranging from 8% to 37.7%. In addition, frontline workers, who comprise 20.5% of working residents near some proposed stations, are frequently employed in hospitals, warehouses, and garages located in the outer boroughs. Many workers already endure commutes greater than one hour, especially in East Flatbush. The proposed IBX offers improved economic mobility by connecting New Yorkers to more work and educational opportunities.

The Interborough Express will serve a multiplicity of neighborhoods, some with 90% non-white populations, and will directly connect many racial and ethnic enclaves. Several proposed stations will connect neighborhoods with high immigrant populations; the proposed Queens Blvd station would serve a population that is 68.1% foreign-born, compared with 36.8% citywide. 

The Interborough Express will help transit-underserved New Yorkers, connecting people from diverse racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to fast-growing economic opportunities in the outer boroughs.

Cover image: MTA