Queens residents are likely familiar with the 7 Train, the E, F, and R — a few of the lines that run east to west throughout the borough. However, without a subway line running from north to south, the Bureau of Transportation statistics show that people who live in Queens face some of the longest commute times in New York City. With the help of local activists, QueensLink wants to change that.
“Residents of South Queens and the Rockaway Peninsula have lacked suitable public transportation options for generations, holding families back from reaching their full potential. These communities deserve the same access to our city via mass transit as any other community,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards in a letter of support for the transit initiative.
QueensLink is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of activists who hope to connect Central and South Queens to the rest of the city by using the long-abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch. Last used over 60 years ago, the train line once connected to several stations such as the Montauk Branch by Glendale, the Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven, and the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels.
But on May 7th, 1950, a fire broke out on the bridge that brought the train across Jamaica Bay. The Long Island Railroad (LIRR), on the brink of bankruptcy at the time, came to the conclusion that the cost to rebuild would prove too expensive, opting instead to abandon it altogether.
Decades later, QueensLink now proposes rebuilding the Rockaway Beach Branch, which would create the borough’s first north-south subway line, complete with four new stations,as well as 33 acres of new parks and bike paths along the way.
Not everyone is so supportive of this, however. Critics of QueensLink say the amount to reconstruct the subway line would cost billions. Instead, they propose a walkway similar to Manhattan’s High Line should be added to Southern Queens to give tourists and the surrounding communities a pathway they can walk on.
Many politicians such as Mayor Eric Adams support the idea of a walkway like the High Line in Queens and have promised to contribute over $120 million to a competing nonprofit called QueensWay. With the help of such influential figures,this organization could potentially initiate their second phase.
In response, QueensLink applied for a $500,000 federal grant to perform a full economic and social analysis of the Rockaway Beach Branch, putting all their options on the table, whether it’s just rail service, park service, or both. They were awarded the grant, but with a stipulation that they match $100,000 of their own money.
A GoFundMe was set up as a result, which accumulated roughly $130k.
Matthew Paolucci, a Queens College Senior studying Urban Studies, has actively worked with QueensLink to spread awareness on campus, taking on the role of the Straphangers Campaign Coordinator at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) at QC.
“Over the years, Queenslink has built a bevy of community support for the project,” Paolucci said.
As of mid-March, the Straphanger Campaign and NYPIRG have collected over 1000 signatures in support of QueensLink — now their new goal is to reach 2,000.
So what’s next for the QueensLink organization?
Currently QueensLink and NYPIRG are planning events for more student engagements, a chance to ask questions and find out more about the project. That town hall event is scheduled for April 28th at 6:30 p.m. in Q-Side Lounge, Dining Hall room 122. Refreshments will be provided, and they will be raffling off an unlimited metrocard as well. QueensLink and NYPIRG will also be partnering to host a walking tour of the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch in early May.
“There are things that students can control, and it is getting involved in your local communities. It is fighting for the things that you believe in and this is something that a lot of students believe in” said Paolucci.
For more information on QueensLink, or to sign the petition if you haven’t already, you can stop by NYPIRG’s office at the Student Union, Lower Level 36, or you can scan the QR codes hanging on flyers around campus.
