The IBX, a New Connection
What is the American Dream? It has long been touted as a house with a white picket fence, a family with a few kids, a car, in a neighborhood designed to keep a family dependent on that car. Car dependence has become a major aspect of the American way of life. Walkability has become a luxury and is neglected in most American cities. With the creation of the interstate highway system, and through the past visions of figures like Robert Moses in our city, we have inadvertently invested too much into car infrastructure and not enough into the use of public means of transport. This is a decision that we are starting to correct through the newly planned Interborough Express (IBX).
New York City is one of the most walkable cities in America. Yet, we still see transit deserts in places such as southern Brooklyn, eastern Queens. If one wants to go from Bayside, Queens to Sunset Park, Brooklyn, they will more than likely must pass through Manhattan. Previous rail systems have been developed with the idea of commuter travel, bringing working people into the city and back home. The IBX seeks to remedy that and connect the boroughs in a way that is cost effective and will link the city in a way that hasn’t been seen before.
The IBX signals a shift from developers and policy makers from car dependent infrastructure to more accessible means of travel. The IBX is going to link several subway stops and even LIRR stops without the need to develop a new rail system. Using existing rails that were in the past used for freight trains, the city has found a cost-effective way to make travel more accessible without the use of a car. The new light rail line will run from Jackson Heights, Queens, to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and include 19 stations within a 14-mile stretch. This line will pass through neighborhoods that have in the past been disconnected from rail systems such as Flatlands and Middle Village.
According to Gov. Hochul, the IBX is set to connect 900,000 NYC residents in the boroughs of Queens, and Brooklyn. The project is estimated to cost $5.5 Billion where half of the funding has already been secured. The rail is planned to be operational by the early 2030’s. The American Dream may still rely on the car for now, but the IBX is a step in the right direction for potentially millions of NYC residents.
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