NEW YORK CITY—As work on the massive Hudson Yards mixed-use project continues and the Far West Side draw increasing attention, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Sunday opened its first new subway station in more than 25 years. Speaking at the opening ceremony Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio called the debut of the 34 St.-Hudson Yards station “a monumental day for the city.”

The $2.4-billion extension of the No. 7 subway line west from Times Square is “the centerpiece of an ambitious plan to make the Far West Side of Manhattan a top-tier destination for residents and visitors alike while meeting the daily needs of millions of subway riders, and one that is poised to meet future needs,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday. “It is a clear example of how the city and state can work together to support a transit network that drives our regional economy.”

Most of the funding for the new station at the corner of 34th Street and Eleventh Avenue came from the city, including $2.1 billion to build the station along with $266 million for other non-subway related infrastructure work. The MTA contributed $53 million for the 1.5-mile extension of the 7 line.

Original plans for the 7 line extension called for the building of a second station at 41st Street and Tenth Avenue, plans that were scrapped despite advocacy by the Real Estate Board of New York. However, at Sunday's ceremony US Sen. Charles Schumer renewed the call for the second station to be built.

“Just as the 7 train created neighborhoods like Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Jackson Heights in the 20th Century, this extension instantly creates an accessible new neighborhood right here in Manhattan,” MTA chairman Thomas Prendergast said at Sunday's ceremony. “It will improve service reliability for all 7 line customers, and thanks to the foresight of Mayor Bloomberg, it is anchoring the transit-oriented, mixed-use development transforming the far West Side.”

The last new subway stations to open were the Lexington Av-63 St, Roosevelt Island and 21 St-Queensbridge stations, all in 1989. The 34 St.-Hudson Yards station, which the MTA says will serve 32,000 entrances and exits per day, is the 469th station along the New York City subway line.

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7 Line Extension Opens with New Station

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