President Donald Trump seemed unaware that the government is about to go to court with the MTA over the future of the Second Avenue Subway.
Spectrum News asked the president whether he supports the project on Tuesday.
What You Need To Know
President Donald Trump seemed unaware that the government is about to go to court with the MTA over the future of the Second Avenue Subway
“I haven’t heard about the Second Avenue subway in 20 years,” Trump said. “I guess they got to get it finished.”
Meanwhile, a Court of Federal Claims judge set a hearing in the MTA’s case for April 16
Despite the lawsuit, the MTA board Wednesday is planning to approve the over $1 billion contract to excavate the 106th Street station
“I haven’t heard about the Second Avenue subway in 20 years,” Trump said. “I guess they got to get it finished. They spent trillions of dollars, practically. I know they spent more money on that than on anything, I think, in the history of our city in New York City. And it’s been under construction for a long time. It’s very sad, actually.”
Meanwhile, a Court of Federal Claims judge set a hearing in the MTA’s case for April 16. In the lawsuit filed last week, the MTA is seeking nearly $60 million in reimbursements for the extension of the line from 96th Street to 125th Street, which began in the 1970s but was put on hold amid the city’s fiscal crisis.
The Department of Transportation stopped paying its $3.4 billion share of the $7 billion project in October, citing changes to rules regarding contracting based on sex and race. The MTA says it complied but never heard back from the federal government, and the funding was never restored.
Despite the lawsuit, the MTA board Wednesday is planning to approve the over $1 billion contract to excavate the 106th Street station. However, it won’t actually be awarded until the funding issue is resolved.
The contract details that it has a disadvantaged business hiring goal of 0% — disadvantaged businesses typically include minority and women-owned businesses.