Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Announcement Of Historic Federal Funding For New York’s Second Avenue Subway Made Possible By The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the Second Avenue Subway receiving $3.4 billion in federal funding thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

New York City is in the midst of an infrastructure renaissance, from the Gateway Tunnel Project to East Side Access to Penn Station Access.

Today, I have even more great news for New York: I am proud to announce that the Second Avenue Subway will receive $3.4 billion in federal funding to advance to phase two of its construction.

I have worked myself to the bone for years fighting for federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway. And I want to thank my colleague who’s been by my side as we do this, that is Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who represents the area in Congress and he too has been a champion for funding.

Thanks to the investments we made in our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Second Avenue Subway has now received the largest Capital Investment Grant in the history of the program, of the CIG program. These are no longer abstract. Billions of dollars passed in Congress, but now it’s across the country like here in New York and in East Harlem in particular. It’s becoming real, real in terms of jobs and real in terms of better transportation.

The federal funding will mean tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in New York, and expanded services will benefit the more than 300,000 riders on the Second Avenue Subway every single day. That’s more people than most cities have, so it’s important to do.

Most importantly, the subway will now expand into East Harlem, which has desperately needed better access to public transportation. When work on the Second Avenue Subway is complete, people in East Harlem will have an easier time getting to work, going to the doctor’s office, getting to school, and so much more. And it’s not just an easier time: studies show that when there’s transit, people get better and more high-paying jobs, because they can find these jobs and then get to them easily, and don’t say it’s such a long commute, I can’t go work there.

So, thanks to President Biden, thanks to our Democratic and Republican bipartisanship action in the Senate, which I was so proud to help lead, New York continues to reap the benefits of our agenda: stronger infrastructure, more manufacturing jobs, lower prescription drug costs, and more opportunity.

I thank the Administration for awarding New York this game-changing federal grant, and we will keep going to improve life for New Yorkers, as we are doing for all Americans.

###