See Inside: The 2nd Avenue Subway Opens to All
Three new subway stops on Second Avenue officially opened to the public Sunday, with people streaming into the stations to get a glimpse and take a ride.
At 96th Street, Suzanne Curl, 46, was on the first train to leave the station. "This has been a long time coming and this is really going to open up things for the Upper East Side," she said. "At a minimum the 6 trains gonna be a lighter ride now."
Others expect the new stations will shave minutes off their daily commutes. Vadim Margulis, 46, lives nearby and expects to save at least 15 minutes a day. He also hopes the station keeps that new-station smell, for awhile anyhow. "We're going to try to keep it clean, but it depends on them," he said, pointing to two children, who nodded vigorously.
One night earlier, there was a sneak peek and party to celebrate. More than 500 people rang in the New Year sipping champagne, and eating hors d oeuvres at a decked out 72nd Street station.
Speaking after an inaugural ride on the line, Governor Andrew Cuomo praised the MTA for getting the project completed by the start of 2017.
"We needed to show people that government works and we can still do big things and great things and we can still get them done," he said.
The new stations at 96th, 86th and 72nd opened to the public at noon Sunday.
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