NEW YORK (WABC) — New York transit officials have sued the Trump administration for withholding $60 million in funding from the Second Avenue Subway project.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last month sent a warning letter to the White House at the direction of Gov. Kathy Hochul, saying a lawsuit would be filed if the frozen money was not released.
A spokesperson for the governor said Tuesday, “Enough is enough – the federal government needs to stop playing games and release the funding.”
The project in East Harlem would extend the Q line from 96th Street and Second Avenue to 125th Street and Lexington Avenue. The expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2032.
“We have already made enormous progress – work is underway and the project is moving on schedule and on budget. But Donald Trump’s unlawful funding pause has put this entire project at risk,” Hochul said.
She added that Trump’s decision is jeopardizing the jobs of thousands of union workers, concerns echoed by Sen. Charles Schumer.
“These projects are not political bargaining chips; they are lifelines for New York’s economy and union workers, and we will fight until every dollar of promised funding is delivered,” Schumer said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement, “We are considering all legal avenues. USDOT is committed to ensuring hardworking taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly.”
About half of the project’s $7 billion price tag is expected to come from the federal government, but President Donald Trump said last October he would withhold funding after a dispute with New York Democrats.
The lawsuit follows recent court rulings against the Trump administration, including an appeals court decision requiring continued funding for the $16 billion Gateway Tunnel project and a federal judge’s order blocking efforts to halt New York’s congestion pricing program, which is intended to reduce traffic and generate revenue for the region’s aging transit system.
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