NYMTA
The New York MTA on Jan. 13 announced its plan to advance two significant transit projects to improve New Yorkers’ commutes as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State (download below).
As part of her FY27 Executive Budget, Gov. Hochul will propose $50 million to fund the design of a reimagined Jamaica Station, better integrating Subway, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and AirTrain service for the 200,000 daily riders who pass through the transit hub every day. The MTA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) have already begun a joint effort to coordinate this project.
In addition, Gov. Hochul will propose building on her investment in the FY25 Enacted Budget funding a feasibility study for westward expansion of the Second Avenue Subway by advancing the preliminary engineering and design process to continue tunneling across 125 Street to Broadway. According to the MTA’s 20 Year Needs Assessment, this proposed expansion would have a daily ridership of nearly 240,000 and would save riders more than 30 minutes of travel time each week on average.
Jamaica Station is integral to the commutes of millions of New Yorkers, enabling workers and students in Queens to get to school and jobs, allowing travelers to get to and from Long Island, ensuring travelers from around the world can efficiently and affordably get to JFK Airport, and connecting New Yorkers to world-class sporting and entertainment events, the MTA said. More than 1,000 trains and 200,000 passengers transit Jamaica Station every weekday, making it the fourth busiest commuter rail station in North America—surpassed only by Grand Central Station, Penn Station and Toronto’s Union Station. Yet Jamaica Station has been left far behind in terms of customer experience and investment; it was last upgraded 23 years ago, when the AirTrain JFK began operation in 2003.
The reimagined Jamaica Station, the MTA says, “will help create better traffic flow, reduce crowding, and build out a world class station complex providing seamless connection between the LIRR Main Line, NYC Transit, and AirTrain JFK for the millions of commuters who depend on it.”
In her 2024 State of the State address, the Governor proposed a “bold and innovative” solution to enhance the potential of one of the most promising expansion projects in the MTA’s service area—extending the Q line west along 125th Street, with three new stops at Lenox Avenue, St. Nicholas Avenue, and culminating at Broadway. Gov. Hochul funded a feasibility study which found that it is not only possible to extend the Second Avenue Subway line construction west to Broadway, serving hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, but that performing the tunneling work as a follow-on to the current East Harlem extension “would save substantial time and money.”
Gove. Hochul will support the next phase of this project with funding for design and preliminary engineering to advance tunneling across 125th Street. The extension along 125th Street, the MTA says, will improve commutes for millions of New Yorkers, save significant time for commuters benefiting from intersections with seven north-south subway lines across Manhattan, and connect underserved communities to jobs.
Yesterday’s announcement “builds on Gov. Hochul’s record of investing in New York’s infrastructure and improving its transit system over the last year,” which include:
- “Awarding major construction contracts to dig the tunnels for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 to East Harlem.
- “Breaking ground on the New Midtown Bus Terminal Project after decades of failed attempts to advance redevelopment.
- “Beginning the engineering and design phase of the Interborough Express (IBX).
- “Fully funding the MTA’s historic 2025-2029 Capital Plan, which commits $68 billion to modernize, improve and expand transit across the New York City region.
- “Successfully launching New York City’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program, which in one year has reduced traffic, cut pollution, made streets safer, and generated revenues for critical transit upgrades.
- “Completing several milestones in the transformative I-81 Viaduct project in Syracuse.
- “Advanced the project to reimagine I-787 in Albany into the Environmental Review phase.”
“New Yorkers deserve a world-class transit system,” Gov. Hochul said. “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.”
MARTA
MARTA streetcar will return to service Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at the completion of underground utility repairs by Georgia Power.
The streetcar vehicles were suspended Sept. 8, 2025, to accommodate urgent underground utility repairs by Georgia Power and align with scheduled infrastructure upgrades along the streetcar route. MARTA shuttle vans have continued providing service along the route.
The work required a lane closure between Courtland Street and Peachtree Center Avenue, where Georgia Power has been excavating and repairing underground electrical lines. For safety reasons, streetcars cannot operate alongside open construction areas.
In addition to Georgia Power’s work, MARTA has taken advantage of the closure to complete:
- Catenary inspection and repair.
- Track maintenance.
- Tree trimming.
- Station refurbishment.
- Signage and vehicle update.
- Deep cleaning along the route.
NJ Transit
NJ Transit has launched a language survey to assess the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP) customers to improve the agency’s services and programs.
The survey, NJ Transit says, is intended to gather feedback from people who do not speak or read English well, on how they navigate the agency’s programs and services. Also, the survey will ask LEP customers what they think of NJ Transit’s tools for providing language assistance, and how those tools can be improved and refined.
The survey will be offered in eight languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Gujarati, and Korean.
The survey is designed to take approximately 10 minutes to complete on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. All participants who complete the survey will be entered in a drawing to win a free monthly pass or $100 gift card. To qualify for the gift card, survey respondents must complete the survey and provide a name, phone number and email. However, it is not necessary to provide personal information to complete the survey.
