Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
The MTA Is Considering A New Train Line Connecting Bay Ridge To Astoria
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 23, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
JAKE DOBKIN / GOTHAMIST
View all 7
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jan 23, 2020
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The MTA is resurfacing a long-dormant idea to bring transit service to existing freight train tracks running from Bay Ridge all the way up to Astoria .
The agency on Thursday awarded a $1.3 million contract to AECOM, an engineering firm, to study the feasibility of the sprawling project, which would stretch 16 miles and pass near 19 subway lines and the Long Island Railroad. If implemented, it would represent that largest expansion of the city's transit capacity since World War II.
“This project is hugely exciting—partly because it is based on the concept of squeezing more out of our already existing infrastructure so we don’t always have to build new subway lines from scratch,” MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber said in a statement.
The "Bay Ridge branch," as the MTA is calling it, would begin at the south Brooklyn waterfront, passing Brooklyn College then running parallel along the L line from East New York to Broadway Junction and Bushwick, before turning into Queens and heading up toward Roosevelt Avenue/Jackson Heights and eventually Astoria. Potential connections would exist to N, F, Q, 2, 5, L and M trains.
A similar idea known as the Triboro RX line was first proposed by the Regional Plan Association in 1996. That version would have extended into the Bronx, with the new line stretching over the Hell Gate Bridge to meet the 6 line in Hunts Point.
The new line being studied would pass through several transit-starved neighborhoods—including East Flatbush, Brownsville and Maspeth—and is expected to serve some 76,000 riders daily, roughly 50 percent more than Mayor Bill de Blasio's $2.7 billion streetcar plan, which was also recently resurrected. About half of the Bay Ridge line's riders would be people who don't typically ride the subway, according to some modeling.
A map of the MTA's proposed Bay Ridge branch that is being studied.
MTA
A major obstacle, as always, is funding. The Regional Plan Association has previously pegged the project between $1 and $2 billion—not exactly cheap, though less painful when you consider we recently spent $1.5 billion to extend the 7 train into Hudson Yards.
There are also some concerns about adding subway service to an active, if underutilized, freight line. Rep. Jerry Nadler threw cold water on the idea back in 2013, telling Gothamist the proposal was "not compatible" with the existing Bay Ridge freight line due in part to scheduling conflicts.
Meanwhile, cities like London and Chicago have found a way to share freight and passenger service on a single set of tracks. And while it'll be years, at least, before the project gets off the ground, transit experts say there is reason for optimism.
“Regional Plan Association is thrilled that the MTA is moving forward on this study, which is the crucial first step to realize our Triboro vision," said RPA President Tom Wright. "Transit service on the Bay Ridge Line would not only provide better transit service between the outer boroughs but also cut construction and acquisition costs since the rail tracks are already there."
In the meantime, you can build your own dream subway extension here.
Tagged
we the commuters
MTA
brooklyn
subway
queens
Bay Ridge Branch
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 5, 2026
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market
By
Elizabeth Kim
Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .