Who else is tired of taking a 45-minute detoured subway ride into Manhattan just to travel a few miles between Brooklyn and Queens?
The MTA’s most anticipated outer-borough project in decades, the Interborough Express (IBX), is getting closer to reality—and city transit officials are asking New Yorkers to weigh in on how it should actually look and feel.
Through September 2026, the MTA is taking its design team on the road for a massive public outreach campaign. Commuters and residents can drop by pop-up workshops at local subway stations, bus hubs, and parks across Brooklyn and Queens to review project renderings, speak directly with engineers, and submit feedback on station designs.
What is the Interborough Express?
The Interborough Express (IBX) is a transformative, 14-mile light rail transit line that will stretch from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens.
Built along existing freight tracks (the LIRR-owned Bay Ridge Branch and CSX Fremont Secondary), the light rail line will connect with up to 17 different subway lines, as well as Long Island Rail Road, with end-to-end travel times anticipated at just 32 minutes.
Once complete, it will substantially cut down on travel times between the two boroughs, reduce congestion, and expand economic opportunities for the people who live and work in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Key stats:
- Connections: Links directly with 17 subway lines (A, C, J, Z, L, N, R, D, F, 2, 3, 5, M, E, F, M, R) and the Long Island Rail Road
- Speed: End-to-end travel times will drop to just 32 minutes
- Ridership: Expected to serve 160,000 daily riders across neighborhoods where more than a third of residents live below the federal poverty line
Interborough Express pop-ups
No registration is required. You can stop by any of the following station pop-ups between July and September 2026 to check out the blueprints and share your thoughts:
July
- Wednesday, July 29, 2026: Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway (L), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
- Thursday, July 30, 2026: Avenue H (Q), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
August
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026: Middle Village–Metropolitan Avenue (M), Queens | 8–10 am
- Thursday, August 6, 2026: Eliot Avenue/74th Street bus stop (Q14, QM24, QM25, QM34), Queens | 4–7 pm
- Tuesday, August 11, 2026: Junius Street (3), Brooklyn | 8–10 am
- Thursday, August 13, 2026: 62nd Street (D), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
- Tuesday, August 18, 2026: 18th Avenue (F), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
- Wednesday, August 19, 2026: New Lots Avenue (L), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
- Tuesday, August 25, 2026: Remsen Avenue/Ditmas Avenue or Remsen Avenue/Avenue D bus stop (B17), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
- Wednesday, August 26, 2026: Utica Avenue/Farragut Road or Kings Highway/Foster Avenue bus stop (B46), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
September
- Tuesday, September 1, 2026: Grand Avenue and 74th Street bus stop (Q58, Q59, Q98), Queens | 4–7 pm
- Thursday, September 3, 2026: 59th Street (N/R), Brooklyn | 4–7 pm
Note: Pop-ups are outdoors and subject to weather conditions. Check the official MTA IBX Portal
before heading out for real-time schedule updates.
What happens next?
The IBX is currently in its two-year environmental review and preliminary design phase (2025–2027). A formal Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be published in late 2026 for further public review.
While actual rides are still several years away, getting involved in the pop-up feedback loop now ensures station amenities, accessibility, and local neighborhood integration meet real riders’ needs.