Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway: East Harlem’s Long-Delayed Ride Begins to Take Shape

Written by Blake Utstein

Published December 2nd, 2025

After decades of planning (and nearly a century of dreaming), Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway is finally moving from paper to progress. This latest phase will extend the line north from 96th Street up to 125th Street in East Harlem—bringing new transit access to a neighborhood long without it.

Before today’s plan, Manhattan’s East Side was served by elevated rail lines such as the Second Avenue El, which opened in the 1880s and ran until June 1940 (above 57th Street), and the Third Avenue El, which also opened in the 1880s and ran until mid-1953. Once the elevated lines were removed, the region lacked a replacement trunk line, and the remaining Lexington Avenue line became extremely crowded. The decades of delay—and many starts and stops—underscore why people often say this project has been “nearly 100 years in the making.”

Third Ave El trains looking south; 59th street. Credit, Wikimedia Commons

Third Ave El tracks; location unknown. Credit, Wikimedia Commons

Enter Phase 2: What’s Coming

Now, the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 is finally moving from plan to action. It will extend Q train service north from the existing 96th Street station up to 125th Street in East Harlem, creating three new stations at 106th Street & Second Avenue, 116th Street & Second Avenue, and 125th Street & Lexington Avenue. This project will reconnect a neighborhood long referred to as a “subway desert” and provide major new access and transfer options.

A proposed map of the Manhattan portions of the Q and T trains upon completion of Phase 4. The T is planned to eventually serve the full line between Harlem–125th Street and Hanover Square, and the Q will serve the line between 72nd Street and Harlem–125th Street. Credit, Wikipedia Commons

The planning and design for Phase 2 have already been underway for years—including environmental studies, utility relocation, and property preparations. The heavy civil construction is scheduled to begin soon, with major tunnelling work expected in the coming years. While the exact opening date is still some years away, these are the key things to watch: how the construction impacts local communities and streets, how service patterns will change once the new stations open, and how the project is managed to stay on time and on budget.

Why Phase 2 Matters Now

Phase 2 isn’t just an extension—it’s a fix for long-standing transit gaps. East Harlem has long lacked a major subway trunk, meaning residents and commuters faced longer rides, fewer options, and more crowding. With the new extension, riders will get improved mobility, new station access, and direct connections to other major lines and regional rail systems. Moreover, it should help relieve pressure on the overloaded Lexington Avenue line and improve transit equity on the East Side.

Moreover, the extension of Phase 2 comes at a moment when neighborhoods like East Harlem have long faced more than just transit constraints. Years of under-investment in public infrastructure, higher rates of asthma, fewer green spaces, lower job-accessibility, and less flexible mobility options have compounded to reinforce generational disadvantage. By bringing high-capacity transit into this corridor, the project signals one step toward rectifying not just a missing train line—but a missing piece of the urban-opportunity puzzle.

The Future

As a student in New York City with an interest in transit, urbanism, and how neighborhoods evolve, here are a few connections. Think about your own commute or how your friends and family travel now. When Phase 2 is done, new routes and stations may open up more options. Consider how the built environment around you might change—local businesses, bus connections, and even after-school hangouts. And remember: infrastructure like this doesn’t happen overnight. This is decades in the making, and you’re witnessing the next chapter.

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