New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that WSP USA, Inc. had been chosen to perform the environmental review of the Interborough Express.
The Interborough Express is a light rail transit project designed to connect Brooklyn and Queens to 17 subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road. Officials said it is expected to significantly reduce commute times and to make connections between transit lines easier.
“Today marks a major milestone in this monumental project — bringing us that much closer to connecting communities in Brooklyn and Queens while improving their quality of life,” Hochul said. “By building on already existing infrastructure, the Interborough Express will shave time off commutes and make it easier to connect to subway lines across the route.”
Officials said the consultant will work under the MTA Construction & Development department and that the review will be coordinated with other transportation projects and regional studies. The contract will cover advancement of conceptual design and general planning support, preparation of the scoping information packet and of the EIS, support at EIS public hearings, and support for preliminary engineering and FTA CIG program application.
“The Interborough Express will provide better access to jobs, education and economic opportunity for well over 100,000 New Yorkers in Queens and Brooklyn,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.
The Interborough Express will use existing right-of-way of the Bay Ridge Branch that runs through Brooklyn and Queens connecting the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, officials said. The project will include several new connections, as well as connections to Manhattan.
“By forging new transit connections, the MTA will transform communities throughout lesser served areas in Brooklyn and Queens,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. “The Interborough Express will create seamless connections to jobs, housing, and everything the metropolitan region has to offer. Awarding a contract for the environmental review brings us one step closer to making this project a reality.”