After decades of delays, the much anticipated 2nd Avenue subway’s first phase was completed with an opening date on Jan. 1, 2017. This project was first proposed in the 1920’s by a state agency, but the Great Depression, World War II and a city nearing bankruptcy in the 1970’s caused this project to become an afterthought to more pressing matters.
Well.. . It’s here now..
A transportation bond issue was approved in later 2005 by NYC voters, which allowed for funding to be appropriated to the phase. In December 2006, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) allowed the MTA to commit up to $693 million in funds to begin construction of the Second Avenue Subway. USDOT gave $1.3 billion in federal funding for the project’s first phase, which was funded over a seven-year period.
The designed of the Second Avenue subway was for it to be completed in four phases. With a hefty price tag of $4.5 billion, the first phase includes stations on 96th, 86th and 72nd streets, as well as an expansion to the 63rd St-Lexington Avenue station. This line was purposed to relieve pressure on the Lexington Line. The Upper East Side was serviced solely by the Lexington Line prior to the construction of the 2nd Avenue line.
The MTA anticipated the first phase of the new subway route would be used by 200,000 people each weekday (amNY.com staff, 1).
Climate controls will be present, but not AC. Nonetheless, it will feel close to 10 degrees cooler than the street due to climate controls. The current and future stations will all have Wi-Fi, have wheelchair accessibility as well as have elevators and escalators.
Another positive on the station design is the lack of columns, which gives it a sense of openness.
With a phase one price tag of $4.5B and 1.8 mile of track comes out to a $2.5B cost per mile, which is outrageous! So, the MTA is looking cut costs because phase two is hinging upon funding coming from the federal government, where they’re hoping to get a third of funding. Once upon a time the project cost for this project was in the $85M range.
What a difference in cost and at this rate it’s almost hard to ever justify any monetary return on investment for any public project, just convenience for the city’s residents.
Coming Soon.. . The NYC City Series…
