Amid a government shutdown, Rep. Adriano Espaillat and local leaders called attention to the White House’s threat to halt funding for the Second Avenue Subway in Harlem — a critical infrastructure project first proposed a century ago.
“We continue to fight for transportation equity. I say that because East Harlem is the biggest public transportation desert,” said Espaillat at his press conference on Thursday, October 2.
This comes after a social media post from Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and co-author of Project 2025, announced a $18 billion budget cut to two New York City projects. With no evidence, he claimed the projects were based on “unconstitutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles.”
“Something like this to happen would be a kick in the face to people who have already suffered transportation disparities, who have already suffered economic disparities and economic development disparities, employment disparities,” said State Sen. Cordell Cleare. “It is unacceptable that this 100-year-old project finally comes to Black and Brown communities and we’re now threatened with the funding being pulled back.”
“Let’s be clear: this isn’t about ‘DEI’, this is retaliation, plain and simple, and East Harlem is the one paying the price,” said State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs. “It’s always poor communities that suffer the most from these games. This isn’t a game. Stop treating it like one. Stop playing politics with people’s lives…To President Trump, let’s sit down and talk this out felon-to-felon, and figure this thing out for real working-class Americans.”
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) temporarily seized several properties in East Harlem under eminent domain to prepare for second-phase construction of the Second Avenue Subway in 2023. The plan is intended to extend Q train service from 96th Street to 125th Street and then from 125th Street to Park Avenue. There will be two new stations at 106th Street and 116th Street, and one transfer to Metro-North trains.
“Honestly, it doesn’t really make any sense,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber about the funding cut announcement. “Right now, there’s no impact on the progress of the construction of the Second Avenue subway. We’re confident that we can comply with whatever these new rules are and that we’re going to continue, most importantly, to have an aggressive minority and women-owned business program in the state-funded side of our capital program.”
Espaillat and Sen. Chuck Schumer dedicated $3.4 million from the federal government in 2023 for the $7.7 billion second phase of the project, approved by then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Funding the subway project has been a central issue since its inception.
In 1919, the Second Avenue subway project, for what was then called the Independent Subway System (IND), was later “crippled” by a lack of funding during the Great Depression era. The line was approved by the transportation board in 1929, but continued to struggle with building costs and by 1939, it was abandoned. During the 1950s, with interruptions because of the Korean War, the transportation board picked the project back up and actually managed to dedicate $112 million in funding to it from a state bond measure before construction was once again postponed.
The city finally began construction in 1972 but stalled three years later and would not return to the project until 1995.
In the early 90s and 2000s, former Mayor Mario Cuomo pushed the project forward, but it was cut from the city’s budget. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo continued his father’s work by spearheading the project in 2014. Construction for phase one to extend the Q line was almost complete in 2016, and finally had its first trains run in 2017. The cost was approximately $4.4 billion.
“Cuts to the MTA funding are not just numbers on a spreadsheet. They are decisions that impact real lives, real communities, and the real futures of our city. That threat of proposed cuts would delay or even derail the extension of the Second Avenue subway line,” said Councilmember Yusef Salaam. “And that would be a profound mistake.”