In what police call the second random subway shove of 2026, a stranger pushed a 35-year-old man onto the tracks in New York City without warning. Authorities say it highlights a stark reminder of commuter vulnerability in crowded stations, fueling concerns over safety in the city’s transit system.

Half a century after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority shelved construction of the Second Avenue Subway, the agency is ready to dig again beneath East Harlem. Backed by a $1.9 billion contract, Phase 2 of the line’s expansion will bring tunnel-boring machines—and renewed hope—to one of Manhattan’s most transit-starved neighborhoods.