Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a major transportation initiative Tuesday that aims to modernize one of the New York metropolitan area’s busiest transit hubs and accelerate the expansion of the second avenue subway line in Manhattan. The plan, announced as part of her 2026 State of the State address, would commit $50 million to advance design work for a reimagined Jamaica Station in Queens and kickstart engineering for a future westward expansion of the Second Avenue Subway to better connect Harlem with other subway lines.
Jamaica Station, a key rail and transit hub, accommodates more than 200,000 riders each weekday and serves as a critical gateway for commuters from Queens, Long Island and airport travelers heading to JFK. Despite its importance, the station has seen limited investment in recent decades, with its last major upgrade tied to the opening of the AirTrain in 2003. Hochul’s proposal would fund a modern redesign to improve passenger circulation, better integrate Long Island Rail Road, subway, bus and AirTrain services, and enhance the overall commuter experience.
“New Yorkers deserve a world-class transit system,” Hochul said in a statement. “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.”
The governor’s plan also pushes forward a major expansion of the Second Avenue Subway, a project that has been in the planning stages for nearly a century. Already underway is Phase 2 of the line which extends the Q train from 96th Street to 125th Street in East Harlem with three new accessible stations and expected to serve thousands of daily riders. Recent state support, including funding to relocate utilities and award tunneling contracts, has kept that work on track.
Hochul’s announcement would advance preliminary engineering and design to continue the subway west across 125th Street to Broadway, a step that transit officials and advocates say will create new transfer opportunities with multiple north-south subway lines and further knit Harlem into the broader transit network. That extension is projected to benefit nearly 240,000 daily riders and save commuters more than 30 minutes per week by making connections smoother and travel times shorter.
Transportation advocates welcomed Hochul’s focus on both projects, noting that improved connections at Jamaica and expanded subway service would have ripple effects for commuter rail, local bus routes and neighborhood economic development. “This type of investment recognizes the central role transit plays in everyday life,” said one urban transportation expert who tracks MTA projects. “Better design and connectivity at key hubs like Jamaica — and expanded access up Manhattan’s East Side — are essential for long-term growth.”
Local leaders in Queens and Harlem emphasized the equity implications of the proposals. In Jamaica, small businesses and commuters alike have long sought infrastructure improvements that would match the station’s regional importance and spur neighborhood revitalization. In East Harlem, residents have awaited the subway extension for generations, pointing to it as a vehicle for economic opportunity and reduced commute burdens.
The initiative also reflects broader challenges, including funding constraints and construction complexity, facing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as it balances maintenance needs with transformative expansion. State officials say that investing in design now will help reduce future costs and keep projects on schedule once full funding is secured.
Whether the Legislature approves Hochul’s budgetary proposals this spring will determine how quickly both the Jamaica Station redesign and Second Avenue Subway expansion move from blueprint to construction. For now, the governor’s plan signals renewed momentum for transit projects that promise to reshape how millions of New Yorkers move across the region.
