View of the Bay Ridge Branch, which would be incorporated in the proposed Interborough Express. Adjacent to the Fort Hamilton Parkway station. Credit: Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr
More than 70,000 new homes could be built within a half-mile of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) train line through land-use changes. Outlined in an analysis released Thursday by the New York Building Congress, and first reported by the New York Times, implementing land use changes could lead to the development of tens of thousands of new homes within a 10-minute walk of the 19 stops along the 14-mile light rail line, with the potential to exceed 100,000 units over a decade. However, these changes would face many obstacles, as the IBX will run through diverse neighborhoods with varying residential densities and local willingness to welcome new homes.
First announced in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2022 State of the State address, the Interborough Express (IBX) would transform the existing Bay Ridge Branch freight line into a 14-mile transit link between Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and Jackson Heights, Queens. The project would connect underserved neighborhoods to 17 subway lines and 51 bus routes, dramatically reducing travel times between the two boroughs.
These neighborhoods include Sunset Park, Borough Park, Kensington, Midwood, Flatbush, Flatlands, New Lots, Brownsville, East New York, Bushwick, Ridgewood, Middle Village, Maspeth, and Elmhurst…