News

NEW YORK, NY April 13, 2007 —Lawmakers have broken ground for the construction of the Second Avenue Subway and WNYC's Beth Fertig finds officials think this time's the charm.

REPORTER: Politicians and MTA officials broke ground by hammering a section of tunnel wall that was built in the 1970s. They called it the 4th groundbreaking since the project was first proposed in the 1920s. But this time, Governor Eliot Spitzer said it's really happening.

SPITZER: We will figure out how to make these investments. It is necessary.

REPORTER: The new line is expected to alleviate overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue line by serving 200,000 riders when it opens in 2013. But the project still isn't fully funded. The first phase, which will go from 96th Street to 63rd Street, is still about $875 million short. And there are no state or federal dollars yet for the rest of the line, which would run from 125th Street to Lower Manhattan. The MTA is hoping dollars will flow once people see the success of the first phase. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.