2nd Avenue Subway Opening: Everything You Need to Know

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — It's finally happening. The 2nd Avenue Subway will open Sunday Jan. 1 nearly 100 years after is was first proposed and almost a decade of constant construction work on the Upper East Side.

"New Year's Day marks a great New York moment and a significant milestone with the debut of the Second Avenue Subway," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "What was once thought to be the impossible, the on-time completion of this transformative project will increase the capacity of the nation’s busiest subway system and positively impact the lives of millions of New Yorkers now and for years to come."

Never though you would live to see the day?

Don't worry — Patch has you covered with a handy guide on everything you need to know about using the city's newest subway line.

What is the 2nd Avenue Subway?

The 2nd Avenue Subway is a four-stop extension of the Q line into the Upper East Side via 2nd Avenue. The Q line — which used to run into Queens — will now make stops at 63rd Street, 72nd Street, 86th Street and 96th Street.

MTA officials claim that the new line will service more than 200,000 people every day and help reduce overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue line.

When can the 2nd Avenue Subway be used?

The inaugural ride of the 2nd Avenue Subway will occur on New Year's Eve at a party thrown by Cuomo.

When Cuomo announced the subway line's official launch date at the Museum of Modern Art he memorably stated that longtime Congressman Charlie Rangel — who will retire this year — will buy the first round for partygoers.

Attending the party will be about 500 invited guests — including New York political operatives, 2nd Avenue Subway workers and contractors, MTA employees and members of some of New York City's famed cultural institutions, the New York Times reported.

For everyone who didn't snag an invite to the Governor's Ball the 2nd Avenue Subway opens on Sunday, Jan. 1 at noon. The new stations on 63rd, 72nd, 86th and 96th streets will open their gates at 11:45 a.m.

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 8 the subway line will operate with restricted service. The lines will open at 6 a.m. and be shut down by 10 p.m., meaning late night and early morning commuters are out of luck.

By Jan. 9 the 2nd Avenue Subway will begin round-the-clock service, according to an MTA press release.

Which subway lines does the 2nd Avenue Subway connect to?

Of the four new 2nd Avenue Subway stations the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station will be the only to offer connections to other lines. At the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street station riders will be able to transfer to the F line and walk a short distance to the Lexington Avenue-59th Street station for the 4, 5, 6, N, R or W trains.

But even if the stops themselves don't offer many transfers, the Q train stops at some of the subway's busiest stops such as Times Square, Herald Square and Union Square — which all offer plenty of transfer options.

The Q will be a useful tool for Upper East Siders looking to travel anywhere in New York City.

Any fun facts about the new stations?

In addition to serving as a new transportation lifeline for Upper East Siders the new 2nd Avenue Subway will also feature some great public art. The MTA commissioned four artists — Chuck Close, Sarah Sze, Vik Muniz and Jean Shin — to create art installations for each of the new subway stations.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo claimed the new artworks will be the largest permanent installations in New York state history.

Here are some examples of the art:

What's next for the 2nd Avenue Subway?

The addition of the 4 new stations on the Upper East Side is only phase one of the 2nd Avenue Subway project. When all four phases of the 2nd Avenue Subway project are complete new stops will be constructed along 2nd Avenue from the Lower East Side to East Harlem.

Phase two of the project recently cleared a preliminary funding hurdle. The Federal Transit Administration recently granted the MTA permission to enter "project development" — a possibly two-year process in which the MTA can receive a full funding grant agreement from the federal government which could cover one-third of the project's cost.

Photos courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo