Interborough Express (IBX)
The first entirely new rail transit line built in New York City in decades: a light rail connection between Brooklyn and Queens that never routes through Manhattan, aimed at historically transit-underserved neighborhoods along the corridor. End-to-end travel time is projected at 32 minutes.
- Total Budget
- $5.5 billion total project cost, of which $2.75 billion (50%) is funded in the MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan. A separate $432 million is budgeted for train cars. Every reported cost figure →
- Status
- In environmental review and preliminary design — no construction start date announced
- Location
- A new 14-mile light rail line along the existing, mostly-freight Bay Ridge Branch right-of-way, from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens — 19 stations across 14 neighborhoods including Sunset Park, Flatbush, Bushwick, and Ridgewood, connecting to 17 subway lines, 50 bus routes, and 2 LIRR stations.
- Route Length
- 14 miles
- Stations
- 19
- Neighborhoods Served
- 14
- Subway Line Connections
- 17
- Bus Route Connections
- 50
- LIRR Connections
- 2 stations
- Projected Travel Time
- 32 min end-to-end
- Design Contract
- $166M (Jacobs/HDR)
MTA capital construction is not subject to standard NYC Department of Buildings permitting the way private construction is — so this project doesn't and won't appear in DOB Job Application Filings or DOB Permit Issuance, the two datasets the rest of this site is built on. That's why it's tracked here by hand instead of pulled live like everything else on Constructel NYC.
Who's Building It
1 contract named in reporting, 3 firms including the owner, 1 with a disclosed contract value. Each firm links to its own profile — every project it's on, and its DOB permit history where one exists under its name. Joint ventures are shown as reported, with each partner linked.
Phases
Click a phase for its full detail.
0 of 3 phases complete
Preliminary Engineering & Design
UnderwayThe MTA Board authorized a joint venture of Jacobs and HDR in July 2025 under a $166 million contract covering preliminary design, surveys, geotechnical and environmental investigations, structural inspections, third-party negotiations, and public outreach — a roughly two-year design phase expected to run through 2027.
Same Firms, Other Projects
Other tracked landmark projects, towers and conversions sharing at least one firm with Interborough Express (IBX).
- Second Avenue Subway Phase 2Landmark Infrastructure
Shared firm: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
News & Announcements
- MTA Awards $166M Design Contract for Interborough Express
6sqft · 2025-07-31
- Governor Hochul Announces MTA to Commence Environmental Assessment for Interborough Express Project
Governor.ny.gov (official) · 2025-10-15
Frequently Asked
- Who is building Interborough Express (IBX)?
- Firms named in sourced reporting: Jacobs / HDR (joint venture) — Preliminary engineering and design, environmental investigations, and public outreach.
- How much does Interborough Express (IBX) cost?
- $5.5 billion total project cost, of which $2.75 billion (50%) is funded in the MTA's 2025-2029 Capital Plan. A separate $432 million is budgeted for train cars..
- What is the status of Interborough Express (IBX)?
- In environmental review and preliminary design — no construction start date announced.
- Who oversees Interborough Express (IBX)?
- Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
- Where is Interborough Express (IBX)?
- A new 14-mile light rail line along the existing, mostly-freight Bay Ridge Branch right-of-way, from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn to Jackson Heights, Queens — 19 stations across 14 neighborhoods including Sunset Park, Flatbush, Bushwick, and Ridgewood, connecting to 17 subway lines, 50 bus routes, and 2 LIRR stations.