GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES MTA TO COMMENCE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF INTERBOROUGH EXPRESS PROJECT

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced it is beginning the environmental review process for the forthcoming Interborough Express (IBX) under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. The commencement of environmental review is the first major milestone reached for the IBX after Governor Hochul’s announcement that the project had entered the preliminary engineering and design phase in August.

“The IBX will dramatically improve the commutes of over 160,000 daily riders and we are moving full-speed ahead to keep this transformational project on track”, Governor Hochul said. “Beginning environmental review is yet another statement of intent that in New York, we don’t just talk about major infrastructure projects, we build them.”

To kick off environmental review, there will be a series of three public meetings that will explain the scope of the project and the review process. The first will be held Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Brooklyn College. A second meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 6 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, Queens. A virtual meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12. Members of the community interested in attending can register here.

The environmental review process will run concurrent to the ongoing preliminary design and engineering phase of the project kicked off in August. Following public outreach, the SEQRA process will produce a Draft Scoping Document, and ultimately, a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the project. This process will assess potential significant environmental benefits and impacts of the IBX project.

MTA Chair and CEO SEQRA said,“900,000 New Yorkers live along the proposed IBX route, and we’re not going to waste any time advancing this project for them. Launching the State environmental review process gives us the momentum we need to move this transformational effort toward construction.”

MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “The IBX project will finally give Brooklyn and Queens the fast, reliable transit connection they deserve, and we’re ready to complete it faster, better and cheaper. We look forward to putting shovels in the ground on this transformational project and sharing our ideas with customers.”