Gov. Hochul calling for LIRR Jamaica Station overhaul in State of the State, but not for free buses

Governor Hochul is expected in her State of the State address on Tuesday to announce an ambitious plan to renovate the Jamaica LIRR station in Queens – as well as commit to continuing work on the westward expansion of the subway’s nascent Second Avenue line.

But Mayor Mamdani’s plan to make all city buses free should not be included in Hochul’s speech.

Representatives from Hochul’s office told the Daily News on Monday that she would propose a $50 million allocation for a redesign of Jamaica Station, which connects LIRR riders to the Metro’s E, J and Z trains, as well as the Kennedy Airport Airtrain. The inclusion of the transit announcements in the year is an indication that they will play a prominent role in the governor’s budget proposal later this month.

“Jamaica Station is a critical gateway for Long Island commuters and travelers from around the world, but it has lacked investment for decades,” Hochul said in a statement. “Our plan will create a state-of-the-art transit hub in southeast Queens that riders will use for generations to come.”

The station – which also serves as a transfer point for those traveling between Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal and the greater Long Island area – is the fourth busiest rail station in North America, but has not seen a major investment in more than 20 years.

The governor’s $50 million proposal would fund the design phase of a modernized station, with the goal of improving passenger flow. The MTA’s capital plan, passed by state lawmakers last year, includes $110 million for “vertical traffic” improvements at the station.

In addition to the Jamaica makeover, Hochul is expected to announce continued support for a project that would extend the Second Avenue Subway westward across 125th Street.

However, Mamdani’s plan to eliminate fares on city buses — which are owned, maintained and operated by the MTA, a state agency — is unlikely to get any airtime. The free bus project, which Mamdani’s team estimates would cost about $800 million a year, depends on state action and funding.

The state funded then-Assemblyman Mamdani’s free bus pilot program in 2023 to the tune of $15 million. This program made five bus lines free – one per borough – for six months.

But Hochul, a moderate Democrat, opposes the mayor’s proposal, instead preferring a more targeted approach of subsidizing rates for low-income residents.

When asked how he plans to pass the free bus plan, Mamdani said he will “be speaking with legislative leaders and legislators as well as the governor on Tuesday about our entire affordability agenda and the financial health of the city.”

Hochul last week pledged public funding to create a free child care program for New York City’s 2-year-olds, a major step toward implementing one of the key elements of the mayor’s affordability platform. Hochul is expected to tout this effort at State of the State.

The governor first discussed the 2nd Avenue Subway expansion plan in her 2024 State of the State, when she dedicated $16 million to study the feasibility of running a line under Harlem’s main thoroughfare.

The work would only take place after the current phase of subway construction — extending the Second Avenue line from 96th Street on the East Side to 125th — is completed, taking advantage of the fact that a pair of specialized tunnel boring machines would already be in the ground.

Sources tell The News that the feasibility study has been completed and Hochul is set to announce plans to fund the next stage of what would be the long-delayed phase 3 of the metro line: the tunnel design.

Phase 2, from 96th Street to 125th Street, is still in its infancy, however. The tunnel boring machines have been ordered by a German company, but have yet to be built. And the Trump administration continues to deny the MTA access to federal funds for the project, citing the plan’s new diversity, equity and inclusion rules.

with Chris Sommerfeldt