The Interborough Express–A Plan That’s Off the Rails

Although touted by Governor Hochul and the MTA as a much needed transit link between Brooklyn and Queens, the realities of the proposed Interborough Express (IBX) prove to be quite the contrary and a high risk gamble.

A review of The New York Building Congress Report and the accompanying addendum published in June 2025 reveals that the Interborough Express is a $5.5 billion project in need of ridership along the route that does not currently exist unless and until neighborhoods along the route are altered in monumental ways.

To make the IBX viable, the opening paragraph of the addendum to The New York Building Congress Report states the following:

“…pairing the proposed IBX requires complementary housing policy.  There must be enough population and job density near the stations, combined with supportive zoning and a walkable environment, to generate the ridership levels that justify the capital investment.”  The addendum further states that this is a “critical priority.”  This flies in the face of giving the impression that this light rail line is much needed.   It actually requires a massive population shift to the train route at great expense to taxpayers, distress and upheaval to homeowners along the route who may be subjected to eminent domain.   The environment would also be greatly impacted because much of the train route is lined with trees.  The IBX would alter the character and density of communities and place stress on infrastructure.

The goal of community development along the train route may be beneficial in Brooklyn where all five community development projects cited in the MTA’s Report entitled, Interborough Express Feasibility Study and Alternatives Analysis Interim Report are situated.  There is no such development need or desire for it on the Queens side.   

The IBX is a tale of two boroughs.  While the Brooklyn side of the route seeks economic development, the Queens side is a leafy green community of one- and two-family homes and residents like it that way. 

This project appears to be a boondoggle for real estate developers.  Building the IBX would be like The City of Yes on steroids, especially around the train stations.   A scaled-down version of the IBX  to accommodate the approximately 86,000 riders that currently travel within Brooklyn on a daily basis may be a good foundation for achieving the stated development goals along the route in that borough while making it more expedient to get around.  If the IBX is contained to an area that is actively seeking development the MTA’s goal of viability may be more easily achieved as new housing and businesses are built in desired areas of the Brooklyn.   All community development projects stated in the MTA’s reports are in Brooklyn.

The IBX has just entered the design phase which will take two years to complete. It may be in the best interests of communities along the route to put the brakes on this project pending a determination of its viability and benefits to each of the broughs. One size does not fit all.

Lax Oversight of Propety Exemptions Costing New York City Over $500 Million in Lost Tax Revenue

New York City is losing an estimated $173 million in tax revenue due to lax oversight of changes in property ownership from tax exempt entities to for-profit institutions and individuals, according to a report entitled New York City Uncollected Millions, issued by District Council 37 ASCME AFL-CIO. The report states that many property exemptions are issued in error.

The Dream Act – Making It Work Without Breaking The Budget

The New York Dream Act can be a strengthening measure for New York’s future—with some major modifications. The key is to eliminate those provisions that result in greater benefits for the children of illegal aliens than tax-paying U.S. citizens while not losing sight of the fact that productive members of society will be contributors on a skill level and as generators of tax revenue for this country over the longer term.

The Case for Biometrics in Reducing Fraud

One of the worst things New York City could do, financially speaking, is to eliminate the requirement for electronic fingerprinting for people receiving food stamps and other benefits from the U.S. government. In fact, the use of electronic fingerprinting and other forms of biometrics should be expanded throughout the country to prevent literally billions of taxpayer dollars from being wasted through improper payments and outright fraud committed by recipients collecting under multiple identities and other creative methods.

Election Fraud in New York State — Can Things Get Any Worse?

The ultimate degradation of any political system is election fraud and New Yorkers should be horrified and concerned by developments that unfolded in Troy, New York last week regarding some politicians’ involvement in this criminal activity.

Billions of Dollars Wasted on Wartime Contracts

A report issued earlier this year by the independent bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) has broad implications both inside and outside America’s borders regarding waste and fraud in the government contract award process.

Overtime Abuse at the MTA Persists Costing Taxpayers Millions

It appears that not much has changed at the MTA in regard to overtime abuse and mismanagement, at least in the case of the Signal Construction Unit at the Metro North Hudson and Harlem line, according to a forensic audit conducted by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and released earlier this month.

The $450 Million Price Tag for Riker’s Island Project – Is it Criminal?

Construction costs for new housing in New York City remain the highest in the nation–and that includes inmate housing on Riker’s Island which is paid for with taxpayer dollars.

The estimated cost of a 1,500-bed detention center on Riker’s Island, as stated in the Request for Proposal, is $450 million. This translates into $300,000 per bed, substantially higher than other areas of the country. In South Carolina, for instance, a new 1,500 bed prison facility would cost approximately $73,000 per bed for a total cost $109.5 million if constructed this fiscal year, according to Sharon E. Scott, Manager for Architectural/Engineering Services at the Department of Corrections in South Carolina.

Taxpayers As Captive Shareholders of America

Every American taxpayer is a captive shareholder in the United States of America with nowhere to run, financially speaking, to escape decades of flawed policies, mismanagement of our taxpayer dollars and questionable ethics in many facets of society, including the government sector. If we were shareholders in a publicly-traded company and disapproved of management’s handling of the business, we would either sell our shares or become activists to bring about change for the better. It appears that the latter is the only option open to those of us who care deeply about America.

NYS Audits of MTA Reveal Wasteful and Costly Practices

MTA audits conducted by the State of New York Comptroller’s office in 2010 indicate that lack of management oversight, ill-conceived policies, sloppy record-keeping and rigid union demands at the MTA Bus Company and New York City Transit are at the core of the MTA’s budget woes.  Employee layoffs and service cuts should be a last resort in restoring profitability to the MTA.