Planned subway will serve far East Side

It's been at the top of New York City's to-do list since the 1920s. Now, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) finally has its sights set on the light at the end of the Second Avenue subway tunnel. According to its web site, the MTA (and its subsidiary, New York City Transit) has "begun the final planning and environmental analysis" for underground transit service along much of the length of Second Avenue in Manhattan -- a new subway line that would terminate in the downtown financial district.

The project, which would represent the first new subway service since the F train was extended across Roosevelt Island into Queens almost 15 years ago, is the result of research begun in 1995. That study, known as Manhattan East Side Alternatives (MESA), sought to develop an action plan to reduce overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue line (4, 5 and 6 trains) and otherwise improve transit options for residents closer to the East River.

The MESA study drew up an initial list of more than 20 options to increase service on the east side, from Lower Manhattan and the Lower East Side all the way north to East Harlem and the Bronx. Alternatives to a full-length, or "trunk," line included subway service from 63rd to 125th Streets only; a light-rail line, changes to existing bus routes and dedication of special traffic lanes for buses.

Second Avenue line would cross several others

Running 8.5 miles between 125th Street and Hanover Square at William and Pearl Streets, the planned Second Avenue line would include 16 new stations in such locales as Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Gramercy Park, and elsewhere on the East Side. Nearly half of all subways in the MTA system would link directly to the new line, facilitating easy access to and from downtown from virtually any part of the city. As intended, the line would also alleviate congestion and accelerate service on the Lexington Avenue subway.

According to the MESA study team's schedule, the first phase of construction is slated for late 2004, upon completion of a supplemental DEIS and preliminary engineering.

Two public hearings will take place in May, where the MTA will hear comments and concerns about the line and environmental impact statement. (See details below.) Those interested can also join the project's mailing list and visit the MTA Web site for updates.

A Closer Look at the Line

The legendary Second Avenue line was first proposed in 1920 as the second part of a two-phase plan that also included the development of the Sixth and Eighth Avenue lines. After decades of postponements due to the Great Depression, shifting priorities during wartime, fiscal dilemmas, and an increasingly large price tag, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller finally broke ground on the line on October 27, 1972, at East 103rd Street and Second Avenue. At the ceremony, Rockefeller noted that, "Whatever is said about this project in the years to come, certainly no one can say that the City acted rashly or without due deliberation."

By the 1990s, the economy was booming and New Yorkers began clamoring once again for the new line, with public support quickly snowballing, creating a sturdy political platform. Many civic leaders emphasized the need for greater East Side access, which helped get the MESA study underway.

In 1999, Manhattan borough president C. Virginia Fields noted that Lower Manhattan is the nation's third-largest business center, trailing only midtown Manhattan and downtown Chicago. "Yet there is, for all intents and purposes, no underground transportation to move people -- business people and residents -- between Upper and Lower Manhattan," she said. "Building the Second Avenue subway will show that we are serious in our commitment to helping grow the economy of our city."

The Straphangers Campaign, a nonprofit organization that monitors transit issues and advocates the views of riders, agrees that a new East Side line is essential to keep up with the city's ever-expanding population. Its web site states, "In the long run, building a full-length Second Avenue subway is critical to relieving crowding at the 51st Street and Lexington Avenue subway station, as well as others on the Lexington line."

If all goes according to schedule, New Yorkers will board the long-awaited Second Avenue train as soon as 2016.

(Click here to access the MTA's plan for the Second Avenue subway.)

Public Hearings

Monday, May 12, 2003, 4 p.m.
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, Auditorium
One Bowling Green, Manhattan

Tuesday, May 13, 2003, 4 p.m.
El Museo Del Barrio, Heckscher Building
1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, Manhattan

To join the mailing list, write or call:

MTA New York City Transit
Second Avenue Subway Project
Third Floor
130 Livingston Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 694-5164