Governor Kathy Hochul announces $54M for Second Avenue subway expansion project

The Second Avenue subway expansion is back on track.

Governor Katy Hochul has promised $54 million in state funds to pay for it.

The congestion pricing pause led to concerns over how the MTA would pay to improve the subway system and keep it running.

Now the governor is appearing to say the controversial congestion pricing toll will take effect at some point.

Meantime, the money to fund this major expansion project is coming from discretionary funding from the state.

The Second Avenue subway project, which was first introduced in 1929, and then finally broke ground in 2007, is designed to serve East Harlem with stops at 106th Street, 116th Street and ending at 125th Street.

As the project enters its next construction phase, Hochul earmarked more than $50 million to keep the project moving on schedule.

Initially, the money to fund the rest of the Second Avenue subway project was supposed to come from congestion pricing revenue, which Hochul paused and made clear would eventually happen.

In the meantime, she's making sure certain capital projects, particularly those that depended on congestion pricing revenue, will still get completed.

"The pause is not going to affect our ability to move forward on critical projects. I will look at them on a case-by-case basis. I will look at all of them during this pause time to make sure we don't' delay critical projects," the governor said during a press conference.

ALSO READ | MTA stops construction on Second Avenue subway amid congestion pricing pause

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