As the timeline for the Second Ave. Subway stretches infinitely into the future, politicians and watchdogs are growing tired of frequent delays and no promises of a full subway line. Originally set to open in 2012, Phase I of the SAS may now open for business by the end of 2017 if everything as it is now continues apace. In a recent review of the project, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney rated it a B- and warned that delays could push the completion date well into 2018. While Maloney praised the project for creating thousands of jobs, managers, she said, have not kept the new subway line on budget or on time.
While I’m still waiting to get a copy of the report, the Daily News offers up its own shortened version: Maloney’s office is critical of the MTA’s inability to recognize potential problem spots — such as structurally deficient buildings — ahead of time, and she feels many delays could have been avoided or included in initial project assessments. Meanwhile, Barry Kluger, the MTA’s inspector general, will soon issue his own report on the delays and problems associated with the long-awaited Second Ave. Subway. This probe, according to The Post, will examine “the MTA’s repeated contract revisions, the amount of money it allocated to buy real estate to continue the project, and the reported trouble between the agency and Con Edison.”
Finally, in other (bad) Second Ave. Subway news, the MTA has been unable to secure a blasting permit due to two shaky buildings on East 92nd St. I first tackled this issue two weeks ago, and the MTA has remained in a holding pattern since June. Although the agency says the delay in securing the permit will not push back the completion date, the longer the delays go, the less likely that reality becomes. The MTA and the building’s owners are still battling over who exactly is responsible for the cracks that appeared in the building. The MTA says these buildings were structurally unsound before work began, and records support these contentions. The landlords say underground work exacerbated the problems.
When they MTA Board approved the 2010-2014 capital plan last week, they killed the MetroCard. With little fan fare or much attention beyond a 
By 1997, when the MetroCards turned from blue to gold, the technology was already obsolete. That year, Hong Kong launched the Octopus Card and became the first municipality to use a contactless smart card for its public transit fare payment system. While the MTA’s MetroCard has become ubiquitous in New York, cities around the globe from London to Washington, DC, have all embraced a smart card-type payment program. 
Earlier this week, New York City Comptroller and Democratic mayoral hopeful William Thompson released a spate of audits critical of the MTA. I examined his report on