To make things clearer, what is your definition of a transportation desert?

"A transportation desert is defined as an area greater than ½ mile from a subway station."

https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20170913/OPINION/17091...

https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/201...

Is that quote your definition? I did not find the quote mentioned in either linked article when I used ctrl+f "transportation desert"

Well, as someone who use to live in that area. It sucked, I think “transportation desert” is very applicable. There are buses, but you only take them to transfer for trains into the city.

Page 15 of the embedded PDF in the first link. Some other definitions say 1/3rd of a mile:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/nyregion/new-york-subway-...

Maspeth is pretty far out from LIC though. I'm not really sure how it comes into play here. Yeah, it's the driving-dependent suburbs. Barely even has any bike lanes yet.

Not just Maspeth. Look on Google Maps satellite view along Newton Creek and east of Sunnyside Yard. There is a ton of stuff that can either be relocated or built on top of. (If you drive through that area at ground level, it feels like you're in some post-apocalyptic horror movie.) It's not far at all, especially if you build a new road or light rail line connecting that area to LIC, which is reasonably feasible if the southern part of Sunnyside Yards gets decked over.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Maspeth,+Queens,+NY/@40.74...