The MTA has made no public announcements about any forward motion on phase 2 of the SAS.
They have not allocated any funds to start any preliminary engineering designs or anything else that would be required.
The current stated plan is to finish all the current mega-projects, pay off some debt and work on smaller capital projects for the next capital plan.
With the current unfavorable fiscal climate in Albany and Congress and the still shaky economic recovery, there isn't much money to be had for another large capital project right now.
The only option currently left open to the MTA is to borrow more capital improvement money from the bond markets, but their credit rating is pretty bad because of their already huge debt load and debt service already eats up something like 30% of the MTA's operating budget.
In short, even though it would probably be comparatively easier to build than any of the current mega-projects, because of the expense, schedule over-runs and lack of available funds, any progress on phase 2 is going to be back-burnered for at least another 5 years.
---Electrical Engineer---
5th generation from Harmon (Croton-on-Hudson, NY), home of the MTA MNRR Harmon Shops.
B.S. Elec. Eng. Tech., Rochester Institute of Tech.
"I have problems sleeping at night when I can't hear the idling of several GE locomotives reverberating off the hills."