QueensLink stalls under Mamdani, a one-time supporter of the rail line
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani maintains that the construction of the QueensWay park project will not get in the way of future QueensLink transit reactivation. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach
By Ryan Schwach
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is moving ahead with the city’s plan to build the QueensWay park project over the ambitious QueensLink rail project in Southeast Queens, which he vocally supported in the Assembly and on the campaign trail.
Like his predecessor, the mayor and his administration insist that the construction of the High Line-like park on the abandoned railway would not prevent the construction of a new transit line along the same derelict track, a view disputed by transit advocates.
Mamdani included further funding for the QueensWay in his latest executive budget proposal and maintained that such funding doesn’t mean an end to the QueensLink when asked about the budget plan by the Eagle on Tuesday.
“We've made sure that any investment in the QueensWay also ensures that it does not preclude any future investment in QueensLink,” Mamdani said at an unrelated press conference in Rockaway Beach. “That is something that our team has made clear to those who are excited by this prospect, and I've also said myself, because we want to ensure that we are building more parks for New Yorkers today, and that we're also not precluding the ability to do anything different tomorrow.”
Last week, StreetsBlog reported that City Hall told QueensLink advocates that the administration fully intends to move forward with the first phase of the QueensWay project – a 3.5-mile greenway starting in Rego Park and ending in South Ozone Park.
The mayor’s executive budget allocated $43 million to QueensWay.
Mamdani’s financial support of the park plan follows in the steps of Mayor Eric Adams, who first funded the QueensWay project in 2022. His administration also argued that QueensWay would not get in the way of considering the QueensLink in the future.
Rick Horan, the longtime executive director of the QueensLink, has called that assertion “bulls–t.”
The mayor’s remarks on Tuesday put him more in line with the Adams administration than his own views on the project when he was working as a Queens legislator and running for mayor.
“I think [the QueensLink] will continue to be very important to me,” he told the Eagle a week after becoming the Democratic nominee for mayor. “QueensLink is something that I've attended public events in support of and ultimately, what it speaks to is that if we want New Yorkers to use public transit, we have to ensure that that public transit is the most convenient option wherever they live.”
While QueensLink and transportation advocates may be disappointed with Mamdani’s apathy towards the train connection, QueensWay is moving full steam ahead.
The first phase of the project, which is being constructed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation and will cost around $46 million, is called the “Metropolitan Hub,” and is only a small partition of the full planned 3.5 mile park.
The Metropolitan Hub is planned to run about 0.7 miles long, located between Trotting Course Lane, Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School, Metropolitan Avenue and Union Turnpike.
The segment is adjacent to Forest Park, and will include a greenway, pedestrian and cyclist paths, seating, a fitness area and various other amentieies.
The main advocacy group behind the park project, Friends of QueensWay, are happy with the way the project appears to be shaping out.
“Friends of the QueensWay is pleased to see progress on phase one,” local Karen Imas told the Eagle in January. “We were pleased to see that the input from last year's community input sessions were taken into account in a lot of different ways.”
“We're excited to continue with community engagement as the project moves forward,” she added. “We want to make sure that there will be additional points and opportunities for the community to be made aware of progress and engagement.”
