Hochul Pitches Crosstown Q Train Extension in Harlem in State of the State

Gov. Kathy Hochul has her own westward expansion in mind with an extension of the Q train to the West Side of Manhattan.

Once Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway expansion from East 96th Street to 125th Street is completed, the train line will veer west to a terminus on Broadway, likely connecting to the 1 train, the governor announced Tuesday in her 2026 State of the State address.

The new plan subverts expectations of an eventual extension south toward the Financial District that has been in planning limbo for decades. Such an extension of the Q line would offer Harlemites more options for getting to Lower Manhattan.

A feasibility study has already found that the crosstown route could be done for a reasonable cost, but it’s still unclear what that cost will be.

“New Yorkers deserve a world-class transit system,” Hochul said in a statement. “By advancing projects like the Second Avenue Subway and reimagining Jamaica Station, we’re building on past investments to deliver more reliable, efficient and modern transit options for riders today and for generations to come.”

The east-west route could establish new subway stops along 125th Street at Lenox Avenue (also known as Malcolm X Boulevard), St. Nicholas Avenue and Broadway. Q train transfers could be available to the A, B, C, D, 1, 2 and 3 trains.

“The 125th Street subway would be as big a deal for millions of riders in Manhattan and the Bronx as the Interborough Express will be in Brooklyn and Queens,” Danny Pearlstein, policy director for transportation advocacy group Riders Alliance, said in a statement, referring to the conversion to passenger use of a 14-mile freight line from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, to Jackson Heights, Queens. “Continuing the tunnel bore from Second Avenue is an efficient and strategic deployment of public infrastructure.

“Coming on the heels of congestion relief and the fully funded [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] capital program, the governor’s plan is a continued testament to New York’s commitment to transit as a way of life.”

But the $7.7 billion extension of the Second Avenue Subway, scheduled for completion in September 2032, has been making progress in recent years and sparked some transit-oriented development along the corridor led by the MTA itself.

In August 2025, the MTA awarded a $2 billion tunnel-boring contract to Connect Plus Partners, a joint venture between Halmar International and FCC Construction, to begin work in 2026. Much of the tunnel boring will take place in 2027 as connections are forged from decades of sporadic construction on the line.

Other items in Hochul’s address included allocating an additional $250 million for affordable housing projects, $100 million to add manufactured housing statewide, updated tax incentives for repairs to rent-regulated buildings, increased penalties for predatory landlords, and increased rent relief for seniors and disabled New Yorkers.

“We fully support Gov. Hochul’s commitment to increase eligibility for the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption and its companion program for disabled renters,” New York Apartment Association CEO Kenny Burgos said in a statement. “By adjusting eligible household income from $50,000 to $75,000, several thousands of renters will now be able to utilize this rent freeze program, but we still need a more concerted effort from the government to get families signed up.”

Hochul also said her administration would work to cut regulatory barriers in environmental review processes to streamline efforts by municipalities looking to build new green infrastructure. 

“Governor Hochul has put forward several thoughtful initiatives to address the affordability challenges faced by many New Yorkers,” James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the Governor and her team to advance solutions that make New York a more desirable place to work, live and invest.” 

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.