MTA Seeks Public Input on Interborough Express Design

As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advances the engineering and design phase of the Interborough Express (IBX), officials are turning to the public to help shape the project's future. Charlie Gans, the project executive for the IBX, confirmed that the agency is hosting a series of pop-up workshops throughout the summer to solicit feedback from residents living along the proposed route.

The workshops, which run through September 3, 2026, are designed to gauge rider priorities for the service. The agency has scheduled 12 sessions across Brooklyn and Queens, beginning July 29 at the Canarsie-Rockaway Parkway L-train station. Other upcoming locations include stops at Avenue H in Brooklyn, Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue in Queens, and various bus transfer points throughout the two boroughs.

In addition to project updates, the MTA recently addressed questions regarding the history of the city's transit signage. According to Jodi Shapiro, curator at the New York Transit Museum, the current subway color-coding system is a relatively modern development. While early maps utilized various colors to distinguish between the three private operators that existed before 1940, the system underwent significant changes in the 1960s when designers Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda were hired to create a unified visual identity.

The current palette, which groups routes by their shared Manhattan trunk lines, was established in 1979. This system, developed by John Tauranac and Michael Hertz, reduced the map to eight primary colors and two shades of gray, a design standard that remains in use on the current official subway map.

Residents interested in participating in the IBX planning process can find a full schedule of the remaining pop-up events on the official MTA website.