Well, in a shocking twist that surprised absolutely no one, there's some raging debate over the funding for the 2nd Avenue Subway line.

Did anyone, anywhere in the world expect this line to open without any glitches? If so, those people haven't been paying attention.

Crain's New York reported that Con Edison, KeySpan, and Brooklyn Union gas have been pressuring the MTA to fork over millions of dollars for the construction of the Second Avenue Subway.

These companies claim their rate hikes are crucial to maintain infrastructure, and none of these three companies are interested in bearing the brunt of the $375 million the MTA says it needs to finish the line.

Now, Con Ed, Brooklyn Union Gas, and KeySpan are asking state regulators to sign off on the first rate increases in years. If authorities approve, it's unclear how much these three companies would help pay for the new subway line.

The MTA is in deep debt, and they're currently scrambling for funds to finish the subway line in December of 2016, the promised completion date.

Last month, MTA asked regulators to let them significantly raise the rates to help them cover costs.

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"Our customers' bills should be funding energy-related programs and infrastructure projects, not MTA work," said a Con Ed spokesman. "The impact would cause bills to rise to fund non-utility work and take money away from energy projects."

Verizon would also be pulled into the project if MTA's proposal goes through.

"This proposal would accomplish nothing except offload millions of dollars of the MTA's construction costs onto Verizon, other companies and their customers - many of whom never use the MTA's services," said a spokesperson for Verizon.

The New York State Division of the Budget feels like the MTA should be able to unload their costs onto these other companies.

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"Utilities typically bear the cost of relocation work for other public construction projects in New York City. Why should the MTA's projects be treated any differently?" said a spokesperson for the State Division of the Budget.

Still, if this proposal goes through, New Yorkers should definitely expect to see an increase on their utilities costs.

So, we're torn. We'd prefer the 2nd Avenue Subway line be finished on time, and we suppose we'll bear the brunt of those costs if necessary. We'd prefer not to bear too much of the brunt, though. We just want to see the MTA come through in time.

Check out Revamping LaGuardia Is Going to Be More Expensive Than Expected. 

[via Crain's New York] [Feature Image Courtesy Rare Delights] 

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