Nearly three decades after construction was halted on the Second Avenue Subway (SAS), a groundswell of public and political support for the project resulted in its inclusion in the 2000-2004 capital plan of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Just over a billion dollars was allocated for a full-length subway from 125th Street to Lower Manhattan, and the MTA has pushed ahead with planning and engineering to begin construction in late 2004. However, with the MTA facing considerable financial difficulties as it gears up for a new capital plan, the project is once again faced with the prospect of interruption and delay. The region’s business and civic leaders have demanded that the region prioritize its transportation projects. As described below, the benefits that the SAS will bring to the city and the region more than justify the billions of dollars that still need to be allocated to complete the project. Based on this analysis, it must be the region’s top priority