Governor Kathy Hochul says the MTA hit an all-time record with $15.8 billion in capital commitments in 2025, the biggest single-year infrastructure investment in agency history—powered in part by over $5 billion tied to congestion pricing revenues—to push forward new subway and rail cars, modern signals, ADA accessibility, buses, and major expansion projects across the system. Highlights include Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 tunneling moving ahead on time and on budget, a key Interborough Express contract that shifts the Brooklyn–Queens line from planning to active development, and signal modernization on the Fulton & Liberty A/C lines using a new delivery model that’s 33% cheaper per mile than past upgrades. The MTA also points to measurable “delivery” wins—projects coming in below estimates, 41 elevator replacements, new accessible stations, and megaproject progress like the Park Avenue Viaduct replacement finished 21 months early and $93M under budget—framing the message as: congestion pricing money is being reinvested directly into a faster, more reliable, more accessible transit network for millions of riders.
Governor Hochul Announces MTA Sets Record With $15.8 Billion in Capital Commitments in 2025
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) made a record $15.8 billion in capital commitments in 2025, marking the largest single-year investment in transit infrastructure in the agency’s history. The commitments advance critical accessibility upgrades, state-of-good-repair work, and major megaprojects across the system, including more than $5 billion made possible through Congestion Relief funding. Projects advanced also included the first round of investments made possible by the MTA’s historic 2025-2029 Capital Plan, which was fully funded by Governor Hochul and the state legislature in the FY26 Enacted State Budget.
“New York is investing in transit like never before, with record levels of investment being made to upgrade our existing system and to bring better transit to more communities,” Governor Hochul said. “The historic year for capital investments at the MTA — including $5 billion in projects made possible by congestion pricing — will improve the commutes of millions of New Yorkers and will ensure that this lifeblood of the entire region is able to deliver for riders for years to come.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “This record year of commitments cements C&D’s status as a top-tier infrastructure developer. New Yorkers want to know where congestion relief revenues are going — the answer is right back into the transit system with new train cars, modern signals and more ADA elevators. Thank you, Governor Hochul!”
This historic year for capital awards includes investments across the transit system to improve reliability and accessibility, along with targeted investments in system expansion.
- Signal improvements: $2 billion
- Rolling Stock: $6.6 billion
- Expansion: $2.7 billion
- Accessibility: $500 million
- Bus upgrades: $500 million
- State-Of-Good-Repair & other program support: $3.4 billion
The MTA also awarded a significant $166 million contract for engineering and design of the Interborough Express last August, which advanced the project from planning to active phase. The MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan includes $2.75 billion for this transformative transit expansion project between Brooklyn and Queens.
Thanks to funding from congestion pricing, major projects are advancing, including:
- Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Contract 2 for tunneling. This major expansion is advancing on time and on budget.
- Signal Modernization on the Fulton & Liberty AC lines in Brooklyn and Queens. Thanks to a new delivery approach, this project is 33 percent cheaper on a per-mile basis than prior signal modernization projects.
- Accessibility upgrades at 7 stations, including the Bryant Park Complex on the BDFM7 trains. These accessibility projects came in 6 percent below engineering estimates.
In addition, 2025 saw progress on the MTA’s new 2025-2029 Capital Plan. This includes new contracts for over 300 new train cars on the Long Island Rail Road and the exercise of an option to purchase 270 additional electric buses for the NYC Transit bus fleet.
The record-breaking year surpasses the previous mark set in 2022, when $11.4 billion in contracts were awarded.
MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “This year’s record-setting numbers are the latest proof that the new MTA is delivering the capital program better, faster, and cheaper. From state of good repair and accessibility upgrades to signal modernization and major expansion projects, we are advancing projects all across the region that will improve the lives of New Yorkers for a generation.”
In addition to the record-setting commitments, the MTA completed $6.7 billion in projects in 2025, trailing only 2023’s $7.1 billion as the strongest year for capital project completions.
Customers saw major benefits throughout the system in 2025, with 41 elevator replacements and 10 new accessible stations across the subways and railroads. That record setting number of replacements saw the average project duration drop by more than 2 months.
Other major projects completed included circulation improvements at Grand Central as part of the 42 St Connection program, which saved $46.5M, the opening of New York City’s new Rail Car Acceptance Facility in Brooklyn, and the rehabilitation of the lower level main span deck of the Verazzano-Narrows Bridge. In addition, the MTA awarded a contract to Kawasaki last fall to construct 378 new R268 subway cars, which will ultimately replace nearly 50 year-old cars and improve reliability and performance.
Megaprojects also made major advances. The first phase of the full replacement of the Park Avenue Viaduct — the elevated steel structure that carries four Metro-North Railroad tracks and serves all Metro-North trains traveling into and out of Grand Central Terminal — saw bridge replacement completed 21 months ahead of schedule and $93 million under budget. Further south, additional savings were achieved during the rebuilding of the Grand Central Train Shed that holds up Park Avenue and the surrounding skyscrapers above Metro-North tracks near Grand Central, which came in $20 million under budget in its first phase and has secured $75 million in private funding for the second phase.
January 28, 2026
Albany, NY
Sources: NY.gov , Midtown Tribune news