Karmactive Team
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has opened a public comment period on plans to extend the subway under West 125 Street in Manhattan, marking the start of formal environmental review for what officials describe as a potential cost-saving expansion.
The comment period runs through November 13, giving community members and stakeholders a chance to weigh in on the scope of the environmental study before the draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected in the first quarter of 2027.
The 125 Street Subway Tunnel Extension project would create a new subway tunnel beneath West 125 Street, with potential transfer stations at Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue, and Broadway. The proposal is tied to Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, which is currently under construction and will extend the Q Line north to 125 Street and Lexington Avenue.
According to the MTA, the Phase 2 project will use two massive tunnel boring machines that will end their run beneath West 125 Street between Lenox and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Avenues. The 125 Street proposal would reuse these machines to continue tunnel construction westward. The MTA says this approach could save hundreds of millions of dollars while accelerating tunnel construction by more than two years.
The tunnel extension remains in the environmental review phase. Infrastructure such as tracks, signals, and stations would be designed and constructed at a later stage. The plan was first identified in the MTA’s 20-Year Needs Assessment and is aimed at improving travel across 125 Street, described as the busiest crosstown bus corridor in Manhattan. A future extension would eventually connect to seven subway lines and Metro-North, potentially giving Harlem residents direct access to destinations across Manhattan’s East and West Sides.
Feasibility study funding was included in Governor Kathy Hochul’s FY 2026 budget, which also amended the State Environmental Quality Review Act to allow early design and engineering work to proceed while environmental review is underway.
The MTA will host public comment sessions on October 22 and October 27. The October 22 session will be held virtually via Zoom from noon to 2 p.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The October 27 in-person session will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building, 2nd Floor Community Room, located at 163 West 125 Street in Manhattan.
Members of the public can also submit comments via regular mail to MTA Government and Community Relations, Attn: 125 Street Subway, 2 Broadway, D16.94, New York, NY 10004.
Planning for the 125 Street tunnel extension began in 2024 when Governor Hochul and the State Legislature funded an initial feasibility study, which concluded the project is achievable and beneficial. The scoping comment period represents an early opportunity for residents and stakeholders to help shape the environmental review before formal study of the proposal begins.
