Hochul Budget Speeds $7.7 Billion 125th Street Subway Extension, Saving $175 Million
Updated
Updated · Streetsblog New York City · Jun 5
Hochul Budget Speeds $7.7 Billion 125th Street Subway Extension, Saving $175 Million
3 articles · Updated · Streetsblog New York City · Jun 5
Summary
$175 million or more in savings could come from a budget provision letting the MTA split environmental review for the 125th Street Q extension, advancing the crosstown tunnel before stations and track plans are finished.
$25 million in new funding will pay for early tunnel design and engineering while review continues, helping the MTA keep its current tunnel-boring machines working west from the Second Avenue line to Broadway.
MTA officials said that overlap could put the project years ahead by avoiding a shutdown and restart of the machines and preserving an experienced construction crew already in place.
The agency expects the boring machines to reach 125th Street by late 2028 and aims to finish tunnel review and preliminary design by mid-2027.
The legislative tweak applies only to this project, and the cost-cutting push matters because federal funding remains uncertain for the broader Q West expansion.