 The line 's planned stops in Manhattan , spaced farther apart than those on existing subway lines , proved controversial ; the Second Avenue line was criticized as a " rich man 's express , circumventing the Lower East Side with its complexes of high @-@ rise low- and middle @-@ income housing and slums in favor of a silk stocking route . ” People protested for almost a year over the lack of stations at 72nd and 96th Streets ; while a 72nd Street station was added in October 1970 , the 96th Street station was still not in the official plans , despite the proximity of the Metropolitan Hospital Center to the proposed station . In response to public outcry , the MTA announced the addition of a station at 96th Street in 1971 . The line ’ s planned route on Second Avenue , Chrystie Street and the Bowery in the Lower East Side also drew criticism from citizens and officials . In January 1970 , the MTA issued a plan for a spur line , called the " cuphandle " , to serve the heart of the Lower East Side : branching off from the IND Sixth Avenue Line near the Second Avenue station , the spur would run east on Houston Street , turn north on Avenue C , and turn west on 14th Street , connecting to the BMT Canarsie Line . 
