Connecting Communities
with Rails & Trails

Subway map showing how the QueensLink extends the M train to the Rockaways.

The Rockaway Beach Branch has sat abandoned for over 60 years. Some have called for restoring rail service, while others want to see more park space. Now we have a unique opportunity to build BOTH rails and trails! From Queens Center Mall to the Rockaways, we can connect communities with the borough’s FIRST north-south subway. The project includes four new stations with transfers to the A, J/Z, EFR, and 7 trains, as well as the LIRR, while also creating up to 33 acres of new parks and protected bike paths along the right-of-way.

Today, residents of southern Queens face some of the longest commutes in the nation! By building a sustainable, cost-effective transit corridor parallel to Woodhaven Boulevard we can significantly reduce car congestion and emissions. This vital project will provide subway access for at least 47,000 daily riders!

The QueensLink is a grassroots group fighting for reuse of a city-owned treasure running through central and south Queens that’s been neglected for over 60 years: a transit corridor that once carried LIRR trains from the Rockaways to Rego Park and on into Manhattan.

We want to put this treasure to work as part of New York’s subway network, bringing inexpensive mass transit to transit deserts, and providing bicycle and walking paths, parks and other public spaces on 33 acres of land in the right-of-way not needed for rails and stations.

We are incorporating community input to design the project that provides transit equity, jobs, and a clean and sustainable environment, while addressing safety and noise concerns.

QueensLink is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new backbone for sustainable transportation and recreation within New York City.

Map of the QueensLink right-of-way between Queens Blvd and Ozone Park.

Explore the Plan

Rego Park & Forest Hills

Forest Park, Woodhaven & Richmond Hill

Ozone Park

Help Reconnect Queens

Support Transit Equity! Reconnect Queens with Rails & Trails

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Queens is a divided borough. Traveling between North and South Queens is extremely difficult with no rail connection linking the two–not even a bike path! Residents in the south face some of the longest commutes in the city, those in the north have no easy access to the businesses and beaches in the south. Those who rely on public transportation often depend on slow, meandering buses to travel within their own borough. Most choose to drive if they can.

That’s where QueensLink comes in! By using the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch rail line, we can create the borough’s FIRST north-south subway line with four new stations and 33 acres of new parks and bike paths along the way! This connection would bring TRANSIT EQUITY to Queens communities, increasing access to jobs, education and health care.

We recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that will allow us to study the social, environmental, economic, and equitable impacts of the QueensLink vision. HOWEVER, there’s one big catch: we MUST provide matching funds for the grant, which total to $100k (if you’re curious how it works, more details below).

This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and we don’t want it to go to waste. Queens DESERVES transit equity, especially in neighborhoods in the Rockways which were devastated by urban renewal projects in the mid-20th Century, and face the brunt of climate change in the 21st Century.

Please consider making a donation to QueensLink so that we can continue the fight for all New Yorkers! Your donation will be matched 4X by the USDOT grant. Every bit counts, and from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!!

If you’re curious about how the matching funding works, here’s how. The funding that USDOT awarded us is from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, and those grants are subject to an 80-20 funding match. This means the federal government provides 80% of the project’s funds, while the remaining 20% have to come from a non-federal source. In our case, we applied for a $500k grant in total, so the federal government will award us $400k, while we must provide the remaining $100k.

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``Many parts of Queens, especially South Queens, remain transit deserts, forcing residents to endure long and unreliable commutes. The QueensLink project is a game-changer, not just for improving transportation but also for creating new economic opportunities, addressing environmental concerns, and enhancing community connectivity. This funding takes us closer to a future where every resident, regardless of their zip code, has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.``

James Sanders Jr NY State Senator

``I am pleased that the USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities Grant Program has recognized the transformative potential of the QueensLink project by awarding $400,000 to study its wide-ranging impact. This funding represents an essential step toward understanding how QueensLink can advance equity, improve transit options, and revitalize our communities while respecting environmental and economic priorities. I am confident in the commitment of our local government partners from the Queens Delegation of the city and state to see this critical project through. Together, we can create a 'rails and trails' system that benefits all residents of Queens and beyond.``

Leroy Comrie New York State Senator

``This grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation represents an important opportunity to explore how the QueensLink project could address transit equity and connectivity challenges in Southeast Queens and across our borough. As we move forward, it’s crucial to conduct a thorough study to understand the potential impacts on our communities. I support this effort to gather the data and insights needed to determine the best path forward for Queens residents.``

Selvena Brooks-Powers New York City Council Majority Whip

``Southeast Queens requires a more robust, more accessible subway network. The bold idea known as QueensLink received $400k from the United States Department of Transportation from the Reconnecting Communities Grant Program for a feasibility study. I urge Mayor Adams and NYC not to initiate any construction that would endanger the viability of QueensLink. We can accomplish the need for expanded public transportation and green space in Queens without compromising one over the other. We should not jeopardize our community by forcing them to choose between a park or a rail line.``

Khaleel M. Anderson Assembly Member

``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, and I look forward to working with my partners in government to make the kind of transit investments these families deserve. Thank you to President Biden and our state's congressional delegation for their leadership in making this funding possible through the game-changing Bipartisan infrastructure Law.``

Donovan Richards Jr. Queens Borough President

``There is an indisputable need to finally reignite Queen’s only north-south rail corridor - and we are now one step closer to making this a reality. This grant by the federal government is a tribute to the tireless advocacy of QueensLink and their ongoing work to get our community the
transportation access it deserves.``

Stacey Pheffer Amato NYS Assemblywoman

“Common sense projects like QueensLink provide additional benefits to the opportunities created by an enhanced subway system. I’m very excited about QueensLink as it will provide motorists with a fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative to having to drive on Woodhaven Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway. If we’re serious about reducing carbon emissions and making our local roadssafer,r then we have to build the infrastructure to support it.``

Bob Holden City Council Member

“This award is one step closer to the QueensLink becoming a much needed reality. With the overtaxing of middle class residents in my district because of congestion pricing, we need more options for reliable public transportation to and from transit deserts like the Rockaway peninsula.”

Joann Ariola City Council Member

“The commute across Queens is one of the toughest in the nation. This federal Reconnecting Communities grant will enable thorough study of the QueensLink, an exciting prospect for transit riders in New York's biggest borough. Congratulations to the QueensLink team, which consistently inspires with its work lifting up the challenges and opportunities facing our transit network and millions who rely on it.”

Betsy Plum Riders Alliance Executive Director

“U.S. Department of Transportation's funding of the QueensLink ``rails and trails`` project is a
huge boon for the Rockaways and the rest of Queens! QueensLink will not only connect us to the
rest of New York City, but it also will bring better economic opportunities to our local
businesses, cultural institutions, and schools.”

Jeanne DuPont Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity (RISE) Executive Director

Find us on social media @theQueensLink

This #ThrowbackThursday , we're taking a look at o

Why not BOTH? That's the central message of #Queen

🚨 The Rockaway Line shutdown will start on Janu

Here's our official press release regarding USDOT'

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Read our letter of support

Twenty (20) city, state, and federal officials have signed on to our letter of support asking the NYS Gov Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams to fund an Environmental Impact Statement for the QueensLink. The EIS will move us one step closer to the transit justice Queens deserves.