You are reading

15 Queens Electeds Call for Feasibility Study of Potential Train Line Through Central Queens

More than a dozen Queens elected officials have called on the city and state to fund a study that would assess the viability of a north-south train line in central Queens. Rendering of the QueensLink proposal (QueensLink)

Aug. 8, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

More than a dozen Queens elected officials have called on the city and state to fund a study that that would assess the viability of a new potential north-south train line in central Queens.

The call comes from 15 electeds who support exploring the feasibility of a massive project dubbed the QueensLink Corridor. The proposal, if implemented, would create a north-south train line through central Queens that would connect Rego Park to Ozone Park by extending the M line. The line would use 3.5 miles of abandoned LIRR tracks that were once part of the Rockaway Beach Branch line.

The line could also be extended south to Rockaway Park.

The electeds say that the QueensLink Corridor would benefit the borough in many ways including improving access to public transport for residents living in Glendale, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Howard Beach, Broad Channel and the Rockaways. They say the project would also help reduce carbon emissions and spur economic growth along the route.

The 15 electeds penned a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams Thursday urging them to secure funds to pay for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the QueensLink Corridor.

The letter was signed by Congressman Gregory Meeks, State Senators James Sanders, Jessica Ramos and Joseph Addabbo, as well as Assembly Members Stacey Pheffer Amato, David Weprin, Andrew Hevesi, Khaleel Anderson, Jennifer Gonzalez-Rojas and Jenifer Rajkumar.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also signed the letter, as did Councilmembers Nantasha Williams, Robert Holden, Selvena Brooks-Powers and Joann Ariola. CB 6 Chair Heather Dimitriadis and CB 14 Chair Delores Orr joined the electeds in signing the letter.

The signees wrote that the study was necessary in order for officials to get a complete understanding of the challenges and opportunities the project would face.

“An EIS would provide greater detail on QueensLink’s potential economic and environmental impact, as well as provide solutions to preserve the quality of life for people and businesses along the right-of-way,” the letter reads.

The signees urged Hochul and Adams to tap into funds that were included in the federal Infrastructure Bill to pay for the study.  Around $10 billion from the bill has been apportioned to infrastructure projects throughout the state, they wrote. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden in November.

The QueensLink project proposes rerouting the M line southbound from the 63rd Drive – Rego Park station along a new 3.5-mile rail where the idle LIRR tracks lay. The new M rail would connect to the Liberty Avenue station at a minimum. It could then be extended to Rockaway Park — replacing the shuttle train that runs from Broad Channel to Beach 116th Street.

The project also proposes extending the G train to Forest Hills in place of the rerouted M train.

QueensLink proposed subway map (QueensLink/ TEMS study)

QueensLink proposed train map (QueensLink/ TEMS study)

Pheffer Amato said funding for the EIS study is needed since the project would bolster public transport in southern Queens if it were built.

“QueensLink is the transportation project my community needs,” said Pheffer Amato, who represents District 23 covering Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park and the Rockaway Peninsula.

“My community for far too long has faced the label of a transit desert because we have not seen the true investment in transportation that we deserve.”

The call for the EIS study comes after the MTA published a study looking at the cost and feasibility of the project in 2019. The study, completed by Systra Engineering, estimated the cost would be about $8.1 billion.

However, a study commissioned by QueensLink supporters and released by transportation firm TEMS Inc. last year found the cost to be between $3.4 and $3.7 billion.

Nevertheless, the signees of the letter said the cost of the project would be recouped since around 50,000 riders a day would use the service. The TEMS study also found that the creation of the QueensLink would create up to 150,00 new jobs over the course of its lifetime.

“QueensLink is an investment that could pay for itself in economic return in less than a decade while serving New York City for generations,” the letter reads.

The signees likened the project to the “Interborough Express” or the “IBX,” a mass transit proposal that would convert an existing 14-mile freight line — running from Jackson Heights to Sunset Park in Brooklyn.

“The QueensLink is to South and Central Queens what the IBX is proposed to be for Brooklyn and Western Queens,” the letter reads. “Both projects would reuse existing rail assets to improve mass transit for neighborhoods that desperately need it, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions.”

Meanwhile, Holden said QueensLink was a “common sense” project that would help ease traffic congestion on Woodhaven Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway.

“I’m very excited about QueensLink as it will provide motorists with a fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to having to drive on Woodhaven Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway,” said Holden, who represents Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, and Woodside.

“If we’re serious about reducing carbon emissions and making our local roads safer then we have to build the infrastructure to support it.”

The electeds also wrote in the letter that Queenslink would also better connect travelers to various attractions in Queens such as Resorts World, Aqueduct Racetrack, the Rockaways, shopping malls as well as J.F.K Airport.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Superstorm Sandy-damaged home in Neponsit will finally be demolished after city finds it structurally unstable

Nearly 13 years after Superstorm Sandy crashed into the Rockaways, damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 homes and businesses along the 11-mile peninsula, a Neponsit house will be demolished by the city.

Council Member Joann Ariola has been working with the city’s Department of Buildings (DOB) and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to deal with the blighted property at 148-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd. and received an important update on the project late last month.

Pheffer Amato reminds constituent families of free meals, distraction-free learning policies for new school year

As students head back to school, Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato is reminding families in her district of two major changes: every child will be eligible for free school meals, and mobile phones and smart devices will no longer be allowed during the school day.

The implementation of universal free meals for all schools, including nonpublic and charter schools, has been a focus for Pheffer Amato for years. During the 2025 New York State budget, she worked on the issue to ensure the state would give every school district, including New York City, the resources to make universal free meals a reality. Now, free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all school-aged children at all schools participating in the national school lunch and breakfast program, guaranteeing that every child will be eligible for health and nutritious meals.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.