The East Side Access Project, 2nd Avenue Subway and the Number 7 Extension line will all be reviewed in the coming month by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in an effort to cut costs without compromising the Authority’s transportation goals. The MTA recently scaled back plans for the Fulton Street Transit Center glass entranceway because of costs. High construction and materials costs...

Two business owners on 2nd Avenue on the blocks where construction has begun on the 2nd Avenue Subway claim to have been given little to no information about the plans for construction of a new subway line when they signed their long-term leases in 2006. Both some now worry that lagging business due to the inconvenience and noise of construction may force them to shut down before the projected 2014...

Since construction began on the 2nd Ave Subway, local businesses are losing revenues as foot traffic is minimal and obtrusive construction equipment is blocking some of the storefronts. A survey conducted by one of the small business owners concluded that 29 stores in the blocks where construction has begun have each experienced about 20% loss in profits. In response, some politicians have initiated...

Mysore Nagaraja, president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Capital Construction Co., is leaving at the end of January to take a consultant position in the private sector. His projects included the LIRR extension to Grand Central Terminal, the Second Avenue subway, the Fulton St. Transit Center and the No. 7 train extension. MTA officials express concern about how Nagaraja's departure...

Some business owners on the Upper East Side are reporting that the construction on the Second Avenue subway is negatively impacting their small businesses. A coalition of owners is negotiating with the city to develop a plan to ensure that small businesses survive the seven more years expected for the subway's construction. Possible solutions include state-sponsored low-interest loans or a tax-free...

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will commission artists to create four installations in the 96th, 86th, 72nd and 63rd street stations of the Second Avenue subway line. The installations will cost up to $1 million each and take up as much as 2,200 square feet of wall space each, and MTA has requested that they reflect the “brighter and sleeker” feel of the new subway stations.

Although the federal government recently guaranteed $1.3 billion to the 2nd Avenue Subway, officials warn that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) must keep the project on time and on budget. If the project detours too significantly from the plans, the Federal Transit Administration could withdraw its funding.

The United States Department of Transportation has agreed to finance a portion of the first phase of construction for the long-awaited 2nd Ave Subway. DOT will pay $1.3 billion over the next seven years for construction of the phase that runs down on 2nd Ave and will stop at 92nd Street, 86th Street, 72nd Street as well as stop at 63rd and Lexington Avenue. This portion is expected to be completed...

Federal funding for the East Side Access Project and the 2nd Avenue Subway was included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill that is awaiting final approval by Congress before it is sent to the President. $170 million was included for the 2nd Avenue Subway between 125th Street and Hanover Square. The 2nd Avenue Subway is expected to transport...

The neighborhoods surrounding the proposed Second Avenue subway line stand to undergo significant changes as the new subway is being built. Real estate brokers are using the subway as a selling point to attract new residents to the area. While many residents are excited about gaining access to transportation, some worry about the new subway's potential to raise existing rents and compromise the neighborhood's...