If you are looking to understand of the history of Second Avenue Subway, read “Last Subway, The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City” by Philip Mark Plotch.
The author clearly did his research on the subject. The book explains in detail why progress has been so slow for the construction of the long-anticipated Second Avenue subway.
For decades, every generation of transportation planners and elected officials have advocated building the proposed Second Avenue subway without success. Some even wanted it extended north to the Bronx and south to Brooklyn.
In today’s dollars, the complete project cost from 125th Street to Hanover Square could easily be $20 billion. The Second Avenue subway was first announced in 1929 with an anticipated cost of $86 million.
In 1939, the estimate was $249 million. In 1942, the Second Avenue El ended service and was demolished. Steel from the structure was used to support the war effort. In 1950, full-financing bonds were issued with an estimate of $504 million.
In 1955, the Third Avenue El was demolished. Promises were made that a Second Avenue subway would be built to replace it. Due to municipal financial issues, bond act funds were reprogrammed for other purposes. Mr. Plotch explains, in layman’s terms, the many twists and turns this project has taken.
The proposed Second Avenue subway was subsequently reduced from a six track to a two track plan. replacing 6 tracks worth of Elevated subways on 2nd and 3rd Avenue. Both lines had center express tracks.
Passage of the 1967 Transportation Bond Act included funding.
Construction started in 1972 at 103rd Street and Second Avenue. Work was completed between Chatham Square and Canal Street, 99th and 105th Streets and 110th to 120th Streets.
Work was suspended in 1975 due to the municipal fiscal crises faced by the late NYC Mayor Abe Beame.
In April 2007 a second groundbreaking took place. Within a year, the opening day service date of 2013 was revised to 2014.
At a later date, due to cost overruns, it was delayed until 2015 and again to December 2016. It finally opened on January 1, 2017 costing $4.5 billion.
Here is the start of what could be the next book for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2. This would open up service north from 96th Street to 125th Street. In 2020, under the MTA $51 billion capital plan, the overall cost went up close to $1 billion.
This raised the price tag to $6.9 billion. The previous federal share of $2 billion or 33% is now assumed to be 50 percent or $3 billion plus. Who can guarantee (based upon advancement of design and engineering, construction contractors responses to the procurement process for contract(s) award followed by change orders during construction due to unforeseen site conditions or scope changes) that the final cost could end up several hundred million to a billion or two more.
A legal commitment from Washington for funding remains unknown. It could take several more years. FTA only provided the MTA in 2018 a FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact) based upon completion of the NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) review process. The project still faces many hurdles.
Current status for funding sources necessary to support the MTA $51 billion 2020 – 2024 Five Year Capital Plan is fragile. The MTA has temporarily placed this program on hold for sixty days due to coronavirus financial impacts.
This unanticipated crisis impacts funding sources. Due to the economic recession as a result of Covid-19, billions anticipated from congestion pricing, real estate transfer, internet sales, along with other city and state taxes, may be lost.
Gov. Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio are each responsible for contributing $3 billion. Both Albany and City Hall face budget shortfalls in the billions. The same unforeseen financial problems may also impact their respective contributions.
The MTA had no legal commitment from the FTA to provide up to $3.5 billion in New Starts funding under a Full Funding Grant Agreement in 2020.
According to the FTA February 2020 New Starts report for federal fiscal year 2021, the MTA anticipates approval to enter final design and engineering this year. This would be followed with a FFGA from FTA before the end of 2020.
This might provide up to $3.5 billion in federal dollars toward the $6.9 billion total cost. It is unrealistic to assume entering final design and engineering followed by obtaining approval of an FFGA from FTA within the same year with less than eight months remaining.
It is anyone’s guest how many more decades will pass before you can ride the full length of Second Avenue subway from 125th Street to Hanover Square.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian, advocate and writer who previously worked in 31 years for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration Region 2 NY Office.
