Hochul Announces Modernization Project for Chambers St. Subway Station

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Aug. 7 announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking contractors to design, construct and rehabilitate one of the most historic stations in the subway system – the Chambers Street JZ station, which opened in 1913. This comprehensive renewal project will rebuild structures, replace tiles, upgrade stairways and restore the station from top to bottom, including its architectural finishes. The project is part of the MTA’s 2020 – 2024 Capital Plan, and is made possible by funding from congestion pricing.

“Chambers Street has stood for decades as a living monument of generations of underinvestment in our transit system, now, thanks to funding from congestion pricing, that finally changes,” Hochul said. “I promised New Yorkers that congestion pricing would not just clean our air and speed up traffic, it would unleash billions in investments to improve the lifeblood of our city. Advancing this project and giving Chambers Street the rehabilitation it so desperately needs will show New Yorkers what is possible when we invest in transit.”

The project will deliver a complete rehabilitation, improving both station appearance and infrastructure, while preserving the historic details of the station. Chambers Street is on the register of National Historic Places as declared by the U.S. Department of the Interior and serves 18,196 riders on an average weekday. The MTA will award the design-build contract by the end of the year. The Chambers Street station is among the most urgently in need of repair and rehabilitation in the entire subway system, with water damage and decades of structural decay diminishing the customer experience.

The scope of the project includes:

• Painting the station  
• Providing new floor finishes at select areas of the public mezzanines 
• Replacing or modifying existing station elements, including station stairs, and doors 
• Replacing damaged station finishes and restoring historic station finishes, including ceramic tiles, mosaics, terra cotta decorations, base tiles, concrete and marble bases, and trims
• Performing structural repairs, water leak mitigation, and ceiling improvements  
• Installing new station lighting, new cameras and updating the existing CCTV system
• Performing preparatory work for the installation of new artwork 

Since Congestion Relief Zone tolling began in January 2025, traffic is down and air quality, pedestrian traffic, and quality-of-life indicators, such as noise complaints, have all improved in the Central Business District. The program is also generating $15 billion for the MTA’s 2020 -2024 Capital Plan.