Maloney has been hailed as a champion of the Second Avenue Subway. In December 2006, the federal government signed a full funding grant agreement promising $2.63 billion to New York to complete East Side Access. In November 2007, the federal government signed a full funding grant agreement with New York State, committing to providing $1.3 billion in federal funds for the subway's first phase on Manhattan's Upper East Side from 96th Street station to 63rd Street, which would serve approximately 200,000 daily riders. It opened on January 1, 2017. Maloney also joined with her colleagues early in her tenure, to secure $306.1 million in federal funds for the 63rd Street Connector, a $645 million project that significantly expanded subway capacity between Queens and Manhattan.