NEW YORK, NY — New York City is moving forward with the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector (BQX)
streetcar following the completion of a two-year feasibility study. Despite two decades of rapid growth in population and jobs on the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront, public transit has not kept pace.
At full implementation, the NYC streetcar project will increase public transit options for neighborhoods with over half a million New Yorkers living and working along the growing Brooklyn-Queens waterfront corridor.The revised route will connect Astoria, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Downtown Brooklyn, and Red Hook.
“The Brooklyn-Queens waterfront has experienced incredible growth. Now it’s time for our transit system to catch up,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The BQX is one of the biggest, most ambitious projects in a generation. It will be a challenge, but New York City is taking it on.”
Construction and implementation of the streetcar is estimated to cost $2.73 billion and generate $30 billion in economic impact. The City announced it will seek federal funding, among other sources, to deliver the project. First-year ridership is expected to be 50,000 per day. Construction is expected to begin in 2024 and end in 2029. The Brooklyn-Queens Connector will serve over half a million New Yorkers who live and work along the East River waterfront and need modern transportation options that meet their everyday needs.
“BQX taps into state-of-the-art transit tech to respond to and build upon the evolution of the Brooklyn Queens Waterfront,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. “With more than half a million people now living and working along the projected line and further growth to come, BQX will transform how our city moves.
