I attended MTA’s IBX Open House meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church in Middle Village in November. MTA had no answers to the questions I asked, and the audience was told there wouldn’t be a Q&A session after the presentation. Clearly, the so-called open house was a dog-and-pony show.

I knocked on thousands of doors over the past few months, and not one person told me or my canvassers they need the IBX service. MTA repeatedly advertises the IBX as “the convenient way to connect to subways on Roosevelt Avenue” and “the fastest way to connect to the LIRR-Woodside at the last stop.” Both claims are far from the truth– the IBX tracks end near 71st Street while the E/F/7/R trains are at least 3 blocks away on 74th St., and the LIRR is at least 9 blocks away on 61st Street.

There was another claim “IBX will be the fastest way to get to Jackson Heights from Bay Ridge and back.” Every person I spoke with is only interested in getting into Manhattan faster, where they commute to and from work.

I can only conclude that the IBX is an MTA solution looking for a problem and there is simply no demand right now for district residents to go to Bay Ridge or Jackson Heights.

My biggest concern about IBX is the resulting up-zoning and the homes potentially seized by eminent domain along the tracks. The City of Yes allows developers to come in and built up the area near the IBX stops, essentially wiping out the neighborhood. I am against this and am a plaintiff in the City of Yes lawsuit. Residents here love the feel of our neighborhoods and do want to live in or next to high-rise apartment buildings.

Finally, I see two potential dealbreakers to the IBX as I write this. The first issue is the right to use the tracks. The last 3.3 miles of the IBX tracks are owned by CSX, and MTA has not received approval to use these tracks.

The second issue is the tunnel cutting under All Faiths Cemetery. The current tunnel itself is only wide enough for two tracks and IBX needs to add two more in that section. A second tunnel will need to be built, either next to the existing one or expanding the current tunnel. MTA is unclear about whether All Faiths gave them permission to do either, or which option they will choose.

I told MTA during the Open House that since there’s no demand for IBX from district residents, the stations on Eliot Avenue and Grand Avenue should not be built.

I am also reaching out to our state legislators for help to stop this.