THE Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has selected a joint venture of Jacobs and HDR to provide engineering consultancy services for the Interborough Express (IBX) light rail project in New York City.
The proposed line will run for 22.5km, from Bay Ridge in Brookyln to Jackson Heights, Queens, using the existing Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)-owned Bay Ridge Branch and CSX-owned Fremont Secondary.
The new light rail line will serve around 900,000 people living along the route, connecting with 17 Subway lines and LIRR, and offering an end-to-end journey time of 40 minutes. It is expected to be used by 115,000 passengers every day.
The joint venture will lead design development, addressing freight integration, tunnel retrofits and major bridge modifications, while also advising on delivery strategy and operational readiness studies.
New York state governor, Kathy Hochul, instructed MTA to proceed with development of the project in 2022. The authority says that light rail was selected because it offers “the best service for riders at the best value.”
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