Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that the Second Avenue Subway expansion project that would extend the Second Avenue line to 125th St in East Harlem has moved to the Engineering phase of the project timeline.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden in November provided $23 billion in new grant opportunities for transit expansion.

The MTA submitted a request to the U.S. Department of Transportation to allow Phase 2 of the expansion to move forward and remain eligible for funding. Phase 2 will include the construction of three new subway stations, at 106th St, 116th St, and 125th St in East Harlem. The Federal Transit Administration has advanced SAS2 into the Engineering phase of the grant process.

“Earlier this afternoon I spoke with Secretary Buttigieg who shared the exciting news that the U.S. Department of Transportation is making a huge step forward on Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway expansion, which will unlock incredible potential for the people of East Harlem in expanding transit equity and economic opportunity,” Hochul said. “This moves us into the home stretch towards full funding and the start of construction on this incredibly important project."

Approximately 70% of East Harlem residents use public transportation to get to work, much higher than the citywide average of 55%. The expansion of Second Avenue Subway would help advance the Biden Administration's and New York State's goal for transportation equity and would improve the local community's access to jobs, health care, and other services, while reducing congestion, both on the streets and on the Lexington Avenue subway line and improving air quality.

“The East Harlem community has been waiting for the Second Avenue Subway for decades," said Janno Lieber, MTA acting chair/CEO. "Phase 2 will serve an area with one of the largest concentrations of affordable housing in the country where 70 percent of residents rely on public transportation to get to work. The new line extension will build on the success of Phase 1 and bring the total Second Avenue Subway ridership to 300,000, which is equivalent to the entire Philadelphia rail system. A big thank you to the FTA for moving the project to the next stage. My team is ready to go.”