Second Avenue Subway

January 9, 2024

Hochul wants to extend the Second Avenue Subway west into Harlem

The Q train may go even further. During her State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul backed a plan to extend the Second Avenue Subway west along 125th Street with three new stops at Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue, and Broadway. The announcement comes as construction prepares to kick off on the second phase of the line, bringing the Q line up to 125th Street in East Harlem.
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November 6, 2023

Second Avenue Subway extension to East Harlem gets funding boost from Biden administration

The plan to extend the Q train to East Harlem received a funding boost this weekend. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Saturday announced a $3.4 billion federal grant for the Second Avenue Subway extension, covering nearly half of the project's estimated total cost of $7.7 billion. The plan will extend the Q by 1.8 miles and connect its current endpoint at 96th Street on the Upper East Side to 125th Street in Harlem, with fully accessible stations between them at 106th and 116th Streets.
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July 6, 2023

MTA moves forward with expansion of Second Avenue Subway

New York City is moving forward with its highly-anticipated expansion of the Second Avenue Subway. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is soliciting the first contract for the 1.5-mile extension of the Second Avenue Subway to 125th Street and unveiled new renderings of the project. The roughly $7 billion extension will connect the line's current endpoint at 96th Street on the Upper West Side to a new station at 125th Street in Harlem, with two more fully accessible stations created along the way at 106th and 116th Streets.
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November 8, 2021

Infrastructure bill will bring billions in funding for NYC transit projects and more

The long-awaited bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the wee hours of last week's end will mean billions of dollars in much-needed investment in New York City's own infrastructure. The bill, which President Joe Biden has said he will sign this week, adds $550 billion to be spent on transportation, bringing the total to $1.2 trillion, as Gothamist reports. The New York City region will see that investment in the form of projects like the addition of subway station elevators, upgrades to Amtrak–and a revival of the long-stalled Gateway Project's Hudson River tunnels. Carlo Scissura, president and chief executive officer of the New York Building Congress, said, “It really does transform the physical part of our region in a way that we haven't had a federal investment like this in decades honestly.”
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May 26, 2020

Cuomo to fast-track NYC infrastructure projects, including overhauls of Penn Station & LaGuardia

The state will focus on restarting New York City's economy by accelerating work on major infrastructure projects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday. "There is no better time to build than right now," Cuomo said during a press briefing. "You need to create jobs and you need to renew and repair this country's economy and its infrastructure." The governor said the state will fast-track infrastructure projects like the renovation and rebuild of Penn Station and LaGuardia Airport.
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December 30, 2019

21 experts on NYC’s most important projects of the past decade

As the decade draws to a close, we're reflecting on the growth and evolution of New York City during the 2010s. In the past 10 years, the city has seen the rebirth of neighborhoods, the creation of a totally new one, the return of a major sports team to Brooklyn, and the biggest subway expansion in decades. We've asked notable New Yorkers to share which project of the past decade they believe has made the most significant impact on the city, from the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site to the revival of the Coney Island boardwalk.
The full list ahead
September 26, 2019

MTA board approves $51.5B capital plan, largest in the agency’s history

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board on Wednesday approved its largest capital plan ever, with a $51.5 billion investment in the city's transit system. The 2020-2024 capital plan will invest a whopping $40 billion in subway and buses alone, which includes fully funding the long-awaited second phase of the Second Avenue Subway. In phase two, three new subway stations will be built with the Q train extending to East Harlem.
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August 26, 2019

Trump inexplicably offers help with Second Avenue Subway extension, with no plan in place

President Donald Trump offered to help complete the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway in a tweet on Saturday, surprising New York officials who said no agreement had been reached. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is still seeking federal funding for phase two, which extends the Q line from its terminus at 96th Street north to 125th Street in East Harlem and is estimated to cost $6 billion.
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February 7, 2019

GIVEAWAY! Win 2 tour tickets to “Art and Architecture of the Second Avenue Subway”

It's been three years since the Second Avenue Subway's long-awaited opening, and with phase two finally inching forward, what better time to learn all about the past, present, and future of this incredible infrastructure project. Join 6sqft's managing editor Dana Schulz for a tour with the Municipal Art Society about the history, art, and architecture of the Second Avenue Subway. Taking place on Sunday, February 24th, the two-hour event will explore why it took nearly 100 years for the train's wheels to get rolling, how it was designed, and what engineering feats set it apart. Guests will also view the impressive collection of public art from Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz, and Jean Shin, learning about these contemporary artists and the significance of their work.
Find out how you can win a pair of free tickets
November 20, 2018

With key environmental approval, Second Avenue Subway’s second phase inches forward

The second phase of the Second Avenue Subway passed its environmental assessment, putting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority one step closer to bringing more subway service to East Harlem. The agency announced on Monday that with the Federal Transit Administration issuing the project a "Finding of No Significant Impact," the MTA can now secure federal funding for phase two. In this phase, the Q line will extend from its terminus at 96th Street north to 125th Street, moving west to Lexington and Park Avenues, where the line will connect with the 4, 5, 6, and Metro-North trains.
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September 17, 2018

The Second Avenue Subway’s second act: How the Q train has impacted real estate in Yorkville

For over a decade, a large swath of the Upper East Side was under construction, but for many residents, it felt more like being under attack. As the Q Line was being built—after a century-long wait—the neighborhood not only had to tolerate restricted traffic along Second Avenue above ground but also more dramatic interruptions. Indeed, at one point in the subway line’s construction, underground explosions even shattered the windows of several local businesses. But with the noise, traffic, and disarray of the Second Avenue Subway in the past, the surrounding neighborhood has already quickly bounced back. As per predictions, since the completion of the line, real estate values, volume of sales, and rental prices in Yorkville have experienced an upswing.
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July 20, 2018

Second Avenue Subway’s next phase won’t be done until 2029

According to new documents, the next leg of the extension of the Q line to 125th Street that comprises the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway will be done in 2029, the Daily News reports. And that completion date only holds if work is begun on time, in mid-2019, according to the same document from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration. The expected phase two completion date is nearly a decade after Governor Andrew Cuomo opened the first section of the project in 2017. That 2029 date refers to the time all construction equipment has left the site; MTA officials hope to begin running trains through the tunnels, bringing vital service to Harlem, in 2027.
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July 13, 2018

Second Avenue Subway eases ridership at 4,5,6 stations by 30%

The MTA has released updated ridership figures for 2017, giving an even better look at how the Second Avenue Subway is growing in popularity and impacting the Lexington Avenue line. By looking at the three comparative stations--96th Street, 86th, and 77th/72nd Streets--we can see that average weekday ridership on the 4,5,6 line has dropped 29.5, 29.2, and 23.6 percent respectively. More impressive is the fact that in 2017, the annual number of riders at the 96th Street station and 77th and 72nd Street stations were almost identical on both lines at roughly 8.5 million. And at 86th Street, the Q station hit 7.7 million riders, still impressive compared to the Lexington line's $14 million considering there are two express trains there, too.
A deeper dive
February 26, 2018

How the Second Avenue Subway is hurting Upper East Side businesses

On Valentine’s Day, The Source, a long-running store on Third Avenue that sold everything from stationary and household cleaning products to cards and candles, closed its doors for good. Since early January, when the owner hung a going-out-of-business sign in his window, he had been telling Upper East Siders shoppers that he was shutting down for two reasons: rising rents but the drastic decline in business brought about by the Second Avenue Subway’s opening in January 2017. Although one might assume that a business like The Source is really a victim of Amazon and the rise of other online retailers, the increasing vacancy rates along Third and Lexington Avenues on the Upper East Side over the past year appear to confirm his speculation. As much as the Second Avenue Subway has been good news for businesses in Yorkville, its opening seems to have dealt a devastating blow to businesses located just west of the new line.
What’s the deal?
February 6, 2018

As New York struggles with basic maintenance, global cities build cheaper, better infrastructure

The exorbitant construction costs of building transit projects, coupled with project delays, could make the New York region lose jobs and businesses to other global cities that are completing transit projects in a more timely, and economical, fashion. A report released on Tuesday from the Regional Plan Association (RPA) says high-costs and delays are ingrained in every part of the public-project delivery, including too-long environmental reviews, inaccurate project budgets and timelines and a lack of communication with labor unions. In their report, the RPA analyzed three projects and their costs and delivery issues: the Second Avenue Subway, East Side Access and the extension of the 7-train.
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December 29, 2017

Why do transit projects in NYC cost more than anywhere else in the world?

Even as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has cut costs on basic maintenance, they have allowed trade unions, construction companies and consulting firms to negotiate exorbitant deals on transit projects, with little intervention from officials.  According to an investigation by the New York Times,  labor unions have secured deals requiring construction sites be staffed as many as four times more workers than anywhere else in the world. Construction companies have increased their projected costs by up to 50 percent when bidding for work from the MTA and consulting firms have convinced the authority to spend an excessive amount on design and management. Caught up in the bureaucracy of the industry, neither public officials nor the authority have attempted to contain the spending.
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October 11, 2017

Why are the Second Avenue Subway’s newsstands still empty?

TodWhen the city first got a look inside the new Second Avenue Subway stations ahead of the line's New Year's Day 2017 opening, one of the shiniest, most colorful elements was the collection of newsstands. Ten months later, however, the kiosks still sit empty, decked out in the signature marketing of rainbow polka dots. According to the New York Times, the MTA says it's selected an operator for the newsstands, and though they won't reveal who, claim that they'll open soon. But is the fact that Q train riders seem overwhelmingly unaware and unaffected by the lack of newsstands a sign that they're not actually wanted or needed in a time when newspapers and magazines have been replaced by tablets and iPhones and candy and sodas with organic oatmeal and Juice Press?
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September 21, 2017

Eight months after opening, Second Avenue Subway still doesn’t have its safety certificate

When the Second Avenue Subway opened this past New Year's Day, it was nothing short of a miracle. Not only had the $4 billion infrastructure project been 100 years in the making but in the months leading up to its deadline, there was much talk about delays related to the system’s “rigorous testing schedule" not being met. As it turns out, the testing wasn't met; the Times tells us that when the train opened on January 1st, "the fire alarm system was still being tested and more than 17,000 defects found during inspections had not been fixed." And eight months later, the train is still operating under a temporary safety certificate.
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September 5, 2017

EVENT: Explore the art and architecture of the Second Avenue Subway with a 6sqft editor

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Second Avenue Subway's long-awaited opening, it's the perfect time to step back and marvel at the $4 billion infrastructure project. Join 6sqft senior editor Dana Schulz for a tour with the Municipal Art Society about the history, art, and architecture of the Second Avenue Subway. Taking place on Saturday, September 16th, the two-hour event will explore why it took nearly 100 years for the train's wheels to get rolling, how it was designed, and what engineering feats set it apart. Guests will also view the impressive collection of public art from Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz, and Jean Shin, learning about these contemporary artists and the significance of their work.
All the event details right this way
June 20, 2017

MTA dismisses idea to extend G train into Manhattan during L train shutdown

Republican mayoral candidate, Paul Massey, unveiled a transit infrastructure plan Monday, that included an idea to create a G train loop that would travel to Manhattan to help commuters during the 15 month-L train shutdown next year. Although little details have been revealed, his plan would presumably travel through Midtown on the F train route, loop back into Queens on routes used by the M and R train and then reconnect with the G at the Court Square stop in Long Island City. While a notable idea, according to Crain’s the MTA looked over Massey’s plan and said its implementation would be impossible.
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May 23, 2017

Second Avenue Subway ridership continues to grow; MTA to add more trains

Just a month after opening on the first of the year, the Second Avenue Subway had eased congestion on the Lexington line by 11 percent. Now, nearly five months in, that figure has more than doubled, with ridership on the 4/5/6 decreased by 26 percent and a whopping 40 percent during peak morning hours. Moreover, Second Avenue's average weekday ridership is up from 140,000 to 176,000 passengers, an increase which has prompted the MTA to add two additional train trips during rush hour come this November.
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April 6, 2017

Fate of Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway unknown under Trump’s infrastructure plan

Earlier this year, President Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, hired two NY-based developers to head an infrastructure commission, which oversees spending on his proposed $1 trillion plan to improve the country’s bridges and roads. Despite this clear connection to the Big Apple, the president refuses to say whether he will include two major transportation projects for the city, both of which his proposed budget defunds, as the New York Times reported. As of now, Trump has proposed eliminating a program that would build a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a program which extends the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to East Harlem.
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February 9, 2017

Art Nerd New York’s top event picks for 2/9-2/15

In a city where hundreds of interesting events occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Ahead Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer shares her top picks for 6sqft readers! Love is in the air with Valentine's Day around the corner, and Times Square is proving that Love Trumps Hate with a day of weddings, engagements and of course public art. Brookfield Place is celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year with a site specific installation by Amy Kao, and the New York Transit Museum is celebrating the long-awaited opening of the Second Avenue Subway. The Center for Architecture is highlighting 20 talented African American Architects, and there's a 6,000-pound ice spectacle to be found in Central Park. More details on these events and a flurry of others ahead.
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February 1, 2017

In just a month, Second Avenue Subway eases congestion on the Lexington Avenue line by 11 percent

When the Second Avenue Subway opened on the first of the year, it changed the lives of many commuters, namely those living in Yorkville on the Upper East Side who had long walks to the 4/5/6 trains and then faced their notoriously tight cars and frequent delays. But those New Yorkers who still rely on the Lexington Avenue line have also gotten some relief: According to a New York Times analysis of MTA data, on an average January weekday, ridership fell by about 11 percent, or 88,000 trips, between 110th Street and Grand Central, undoubtedly a direct effect of the Second Avenue line's average ridership of 140,000.
More facts and figures
January 25, 2017

Trump’s infrastructure plan may include $26B+ for NYC’s Gateway Project and Second Avenue Subway

Reporters at McClatchy obtained documents that the Trump transition team provided to the National Governor’s Association detailing 50 projects across the country that would take priority under the President's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure plan, and among them are two NYC-based projects. The Gateway Project, which would repair the aging and Sandy-damaged Hudson River rail tunnels and build a new one, would cost $12 billion and create 34,000 jobs. Phases two and three of the Second Avenue Subway would cost $14.2 billion and create 16,000 direct jobs.
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