By Philip Newman
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) said the Second Avenue subway is more than 94 percent completed and on schedule to start running in December, but she recommended “guarded optimism since there is very little room for error” in the final months of construction.
The project could fall behind “if milestones are not met,” said Maloney, who issued a report card on the project that awarded an A-minus overall to the MTA for its performance.
When the new line opens, the Q line will run from 96th Street to 63rd Street on the Upper East Side, alleviating the daily crush on the Lexington Avenue line. The MTA has proposed bringing back the W line this fall to pave the way for the Q line to begin serving Manhattan riders.
“The project is 94.4 percent completed, all track and most of the third rail has been installed, station entrances and ancillary buildings are being completed and the MTA is starting to restore streets that have been under construction for years,” Maloney told a news conference at 82nd Street and Second Avenue Monday.
There are three new stations at 96th Street, 86th Street and 72nd Street that will bring passengers to the 63rd Street station, which is also served by the F train.
The MTA broke ground for the Second Avenue subway in April 2007. The new subway line is expected to carry at least 200,000 straphangers a day and reduce crowding on the Lexington Avenue line, which now carries more than 40 percent of all subway riders in New York City.
Maloney praised the MTA, which she said “has been admirably open in its outreach to the community.”
On her report card, she gave the MTA an overall grade of A-minus on the project, a B-plus to the on-time record and a C to its efforts to mitigate the effects on the neighborhoods.
“The MTA has demonstrated that it is aware that it needs to do more than merely solve engineering problems: It needs to work proactively to reduce impacts on residents and businesses,” Maloney said. “More frequent meetings with community members and building representatives have enhanced dialogue and allowed the MTA to take action quickly to resolve problems.”
The MTA 2015-2019 plan includes $1.5 billion for Phase 2 of the new subway, which will include stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th streets.
Maloney has promoted and shepherderd the Second Avenue subway for 20 years.
Denise Richardson, executive director of the General Contractors Association of New York, said, “Carolyn Maloney is truly the mother of the Second Avenue subway.”
The project is a vital part of the East Side Access, which will bring Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central by 2022 where passengers will be able to get on the extended Second Avenue subway as well as the Lexington Avenue line.
