NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A new express light rail between Queens and Brooklyn is now one step closer to reality as the state initiates its environmental review, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.

The new $5.5 billion light rail, the Interborough Express, would connect Brooklyn and Queens on a 32-minute, 14-mile-long route. Planning for the project started in 2022, and it was funded in the 2025 state budget and MTA Capital Plan.

Now, it’s taken a step forward, entering a required state review of the project’s environmental impact on local communities. Engineers will continue designing the project as the review begins, Hochul said.

“Beginning environmental review is yet another statement of intent that in New York, we don’t just talk about major infrastructure projects, we build them,” Hoch

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