(WNY News Now) – Governor says legal action aims to restore billions in infrastructure funding and keep major transit project on track

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state is suing the administration of former President Donald Trump over what she described as an abrupt halt to previously committed federal infrastructure funding, including money tied to the long-planned Second Avenue Subway expansion.

In a public statement, Hochul said the funding pause threatens progress on the project, which has been in development for decades and is intended to expand transit access in East Harlem. She emphasized that construction is currently underway and proceeding on schedule and within budget.

According to the governor, the loss of federal funding could impact more than 100,000 daily commuters and place thousands of union jobs at risk. Hochul said the state had warned federal officials that legal action would follow if funding was not restored.

The Governor’s statement can be viewed below:

“Once again, New York has been forced to sue the Trump Administration to stop them from erratically shutting off billions of dollars in previously committed infrastructure funding. For nearly a century, leaders have made big promises to the people of East Harlem about the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway. For nearly a century, those promises have been broken. When I took office, I pledged to be the Governor who kept her promise to this neighborhood and finally got this subway built.

“We have already made enormous progress — work is underway and the project is moving on schedule and on budget. But Donald Trump’s unlawful funding pause has put this entire project at risk. His actions alone have jeopardized the commutes of over 100,000 New Yorkers and the jobs of thousands of union workers, but New York will not back down. We told Donald Trump that if he did not restore the funding for this project, we’d see him in court. Today, we are doing just that. Just like Gateway, Donald Trump has two options: restore the money now, or wait for a judge to force him to.”