New York.- Dominican-American Congressman Adriano Espaillat led this Monday, alongside New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the official groundbreaking for Phase II of the Second Avenue Subway expansion, a project considered historic for the residents of East Harlem and one of the city’s largest transportation infrastructure initiatives.
The new phase will extend Q line service from 96th Street to 125th Street, incorporating three new accessible stations at 106th, 116th, and 125th Streets, in addition to strengthening connections with other public transportation systems.
During the event, Espaillat highlighted that the project represents a transcendental step for a community that for decades has faced limitations in access to rail transportation.
“East Harlem has long been a transit desert. More than 100,000 residents have lived without direct access to the city’s rail system. Today we are taking a decisive step to change that reality”, the legislator expressed.
The congressman recalled that since his arrival in Congress, he promoted the expansion of the subway as a legislative priority and thanked the state and federal authorities for their support in making an initiative that had remained stagnant for decades a reality.
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For her part, Governor Kathy Hochul described the project as a transformative investment for East Harlem and highlighted the implementation of local hiring programs aimed at creating jobs and economic opportunities for residents of the area.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer noted that the expansion will bring the city closer to greater equity in access to public transportation and recalled that he managed to secure $3.4 billion in federal funds to support the initiative.
Authorities estimate that the project will benefit about 110,000 additional passengers each day and will generate more than 70,000 direct and indirect jobs, many of them linked to the construction sector.
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Phase II includes the construction of approximately 1.5 additional miles of railway tracks and will allow connections to subway lines 4, 5, and 6, the Metro-North system, and various bus routes, including services to LaGuardia Airport.
The Second Avenue Subway expansion constitutes a historic demand of East Harlem dating back to the early 20th century, which is now moving forward with the goal of improving mobility, reducing vehicular congestion, and expanding access to opportunities for thousands of New York residents.
