Second Avenue Subway funding restored for Phase 2

Second Avenue Subway funding restoration is moving ahead in New York City. The U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) said federal payments would resume after a legal dispute. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Second Avenue Subway funding restoration and the court filing

In a federal court filing, the agency said payments tied to construction costs would restart. As Railway Supply reported, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) challenged the funding suspension in a lawsuit. It also warned that the move could delay an important infrastructure programme.

Don’t miss…BNSF and Metra renew deal for Chicago-Aurora line

The line runs beneath Second Avenue on Manhattan’s East Side. Its first section entered service on 1 January 2017. It added three stations on the Upper East Side. The restored funding concerns the next construction stage. It does not apply to the section that has already been operating since 2017.

Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 and East Harlem

As the MTA notes, the next phase would extend the route north into East Harlem. The area has long lacked direct subway access.

The MTA statement was issued after the funding restoration was announced. In it, Janno Lieber acknowledged both the delay and the renewed momentum for the scheme.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said:
It shouldn’t have taken seven months and a lawsuit to get here, but with the federal government’s concession today on the courthouse steps, the MTA can now confidently forge ahead with Second Avenue Subway Phase 2. The billion-dollar contract approved at our March Board meeting is being awarded and contractors are mobilising right away.

Today’s MTA is determined to expand our network and give riders more and better service. Long-awaited transit justice for East Harlem is just the beginning.

Federal funding dispute and withheld contributions

The federal funding dispute centred on about 60 million USD in federal contributions. They had been held back temporarily while parts of the project were under review.

Federal officials said the review was meant to make sure public money was spent properly. They also said it had to remain in line with current policy priorities.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: