Pre-Opening Tour. On December 23, 2016, the 96th Street Station on the 2nd Avenue Subway was open for walk through tours. A collection of the giveaways made for a nice group of props as MTA NYCT Subway workers were on hand to answer questions and distribute souvenirs. The culmination of decades of planning and construction would come a few days later when regular service on the "Q" began on January 1, 2017.