New York Gov. Hochul set to advance Jamaica Station redesign, Second Avenue Subway expansion study in FY27 budget
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced a plan to advance two transit projects designed to improve New Yorkers’ commutes. As part of the governor’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 executive budget, she’s set to propose $50 million to fund the redesign of Jamaica Station, better integrating subway, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and AirTrain service for the 200,000 daily riders. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) have begun a joint effort to coordinate the project.
In addition, Gov. Hochul is set to propose funding a feasibility study for westward expansion of the Second Avenue Subway. This would be achieved by advancing the preliminary engineering and design process to continue tunneling across 125 Street to Broadway. According to the MTA’s 20 Year Needs Assessment, this proposed expansion would have a daily ridership of nearly 240,000 and would save riders over 30 minutes of travel time each week on average.
“New Yorkers deserve a world-class transit system,” Gov. Hochul said. “By advancing projects like the Second Avenue Subway and reimagining Jamaica Station, we’re building on past investments to deliver more reliable, efficient and modern transit options for riders today and for generations to come.”
Reimagining Jamaica Station for the millions of commuters who depend on it
Jamaica Station is an integral station to the movement of millions of New Yorkers, enabling Queens residents to get to school and jobs, allowing travelers to get to and from Long Island, ensuring travelers from around the world can get to JFK Airport and connecting New Yorkers to sporting and entertainment events. According to the MTA, more than 1,000 trains and 200,000 passengers use Jamaica Station every weekday, making it the fourth busiest commuter rail station in North America—surpassed only by Grand Central Station, Penn Station and Toronto’s Union Station. However, Jamaica Station has been left far behind in terms of customer experience and investment. It last saw an upgrade 23 years ago when the AirTrain JFK began operation in 2003.
The reimagined Jamaica Station will help create better traffic flow, reduce crowding and build out a world class station complex providing seamless connection between the LIRR Main Line, New York City Transit and AirTrain JFK for the millions of commuters who depend on it.
Advancing the Second Avenue Subway Crosstown Expansion Project to improve commutes for New Yorkers
Gov. Hochul also proposed extending the Q line west along 125th Street, with three new stops at Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue and culminating at Broadway. A feasibility study was funded, which found that it is not only possible to extend the Second Avenue Subway line construction west to Broadway, serving hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, but that performing the tunneling work as a follow-on to the current East Harlem extension would save time and money.
The extension along 125th Street would improve commutes for millions of New Yorkers and save significant time for commuters benefiting from intersections with seven north-south subway lines across Manhattan.
The announcement builds on New York infrastructure achievements and improvements to its transit system over the last year, which include:
- Awarding construction contracts to dig the tunnels for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 to East Harlem.
- Breaking ground on the new Midtown Bus Terminal Project.
- Beginning the engineering and design phase of the Interborough Express .
- Funding the MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan, which commits $68 billion to modernize,
- improve and expand transit across the New York City region.
- Launched New York City’s congestion pricing program.