Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, Congress Member Adriano Espaillat and other officials for an announcement on Nov. 4, 2023 announcing federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway’s second phase extension to East Harlem.
Photo by Max Parrott
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg made his way to East Harlem on Saturday to formally kickoff the funding deal for the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway extension — much to the delight of Upper Manhattan’s congressional delegation.
During the Nov. 4 signing event at the proposed upper terminus of the line near 125th Street, Buttigieg and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer touted the community value that the $3.4 billion grant will provide for Harlemites.
Phase 2 of the subway project will bring Q train service up through the eastern bounds of the neighborhood, a densely populated area without many transit options. The subway expansion is expected to benefit more than 100,000 riders daily, according to MTA estimates.
“It has not been good enough for too long. We’re changing that,” said Buttigieg. “That’s why it has been such a thrill on behalf of President Biden and the entire Biden-Harris administration to sign the final funding agreement for $3.4 billion to build that Second Avenue Subway up to 125 Street.”
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant will cover a little less than half of the estimated $7.7 billion cost of the project’s second phase. Though the 2021 federal infrastructure bill-funded grant is the largest in the history of the program, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will still be on the hook for over $4 billion of the cost.
“Money’s important. Now, thank you for the $3.4 billion,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul addressing Buttigieg. “That’s almost as high as my $4 billion. But who’s keeping track? So if you wanna go a little higher, okay, we got a little competition going here.”
The first…
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