New York MTA's Second Avenue Subway — the system’s first major expansion in more than 50 years — launched its inaugural ride on New Year's Eve. The new line’s first ride and celebratory party were cohosted by MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast and attended by Second Avenue Subway and MTA workers, local community members, dignitaries, local elected officials and members of President Obama’s Cabinet.

"After nearly a century, the Second Avenue Subway is no longer a dream that only a few still believe is possible. Thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of thousands of great New Yorkers, the stations are open, the trains are running and it is spectacular," said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

New Q Subway Train Service
The Second Avenue Subway began service at noon, January 1. Q Subway train service will run from 96th Street, 86th Street, 72nd Street, and 63rd Street, and continue through Manhattan and into Brooklyn, to Coney Island.

From January 2 until January 8, service on the Second Avenue Subway will begin at 6 a.m. and run until 10 p.m. Then, starting on Jan. 9, service will operate around-the-clock. Trains will run every six minutes during peak hours.The new line also features low-vibration track, for a smoother, quieter ride.

New Stations
The bright, spacious new Second Avenue Subway stations feature access for the disabled, climate control features to maximize comfort, high ceilings column-free design for an open, airy atmosphere, vibrant lighting and the largest permanent public art installation in state history. A two-tiered mezzanine design is a fixture of the new stations and improves the flow of riders, reduces crowding on the platform and enhances the overall subway experience for riders.

There are completely new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd Streets along Second Avenue, and a new entrance at 63rd Street and Third Avenue will allow riders to enter a renovated station for new Q train service there, including a connection to the existing F line.

The new Second Avenue Subway also features the largest permanent public art installation in New York State history, with dramatic, large-scale works by notable artists at each of the line’s new stations.

By the Numbers

•     Workers excavated 583,600 cubic yards of rock & 460,300 cubic yards of soil (more than half the Empire State Building by volume)

•     Cubic yards of concrete used in construction: 261,038

•     Pounds of rebar used in construction: 48.9 million

•     Pounds of structural steel used in construction: 40.7 million

•     The new line features 35 new escalators, 12 new elevators, and 22 new stairways

•     The new line features 200,000 square feet of floor tiles, 130,000 square feet of ceiling tiles, and 692,000 square feet of wall tiles

•     Number of doors: 1,014

•     Number of light fixtures: 10,264

•     Number of floor drains: 712

•     Number of plumbing and bathroom fixtures: 264

Phase 1
Phase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway includes the three new ADA-compliant stations at 96th Street, 86th Street and 72nd Street, and new entrances to the existing Lexington Av/63rd Street Station at 63rd Street and Third Avenue. It will provide service from 96th Street to 63rd Street and will serve more than 200,000 people per day, reducing overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue Line and restoring a transit link to a neighborhood that lost the Second Avenue elevated subways in 1940. The existing Q line will continue through 63rd Street all the way to Coney Island. The new stations will provide transfers to other subway and commuter rail lines. Further phases of the project will extend the line to Hanover Square in the Financial District.