NEW YORK, NY— The MTA is developing backup funding plans for a proposed $5.5 billion light rail line linking Brooklyn and Queens, as officials brace for possible federal resistance.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the agency is adjusting expectations for the Interborough Express, a project that would typically rely on federal support.
“We want to make sure that we could move quickly into construction rather than waiting around for Santa Claus," Lieber told board members.
The Interborough Express would run along an existing freight corridor from Sunset Park in Brooklyn to Jackson Heights in Queens, connecting riders to 17 subway lines and more than 50 bus routes. Officials estimate up to 200,000 daily riders.
Gov. Kathy Hochul first advanced the proposal five years ago.
The project has since entered design and engineering, with a state environmental review underway. Officials expect both phases to wrap by the end of next year.
He added that the agency will still pursue federal aid but is preparing for delays.
“It’s a strategy of optimistic realism,” Lieber said. “We’ll absolutely apply for federal money, but we are looking at alternatives in light of what we’ve seen about how discretionary grant money is being distributed in this administration.”
The project previously secured a federal grant during the Biden administration to support early design and environmental work. Transit advocates said the shift away from relying on Washington marks a break from decades of infrastructure funding practice.
“Riders in Brooklyn and Queens are anxious for the IBX to proceed and eager for whatever time the project can recoup by vaulting over D.C.’s notorious red tape,” Danny Pearlstein of the Riders Alliance said.
The Trump administration has attempted to halt or delay funding tied to other New York efforts, including the Second Avenue Subway and the Gateway Tunnel, even after Congress approved funding.
State officials recently recovered $60 million for the subway project through litigation.
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