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Tunneling to the Future: The Story of the Great Subway Expansion That Saved New York
A look into the 1913 subway expansion project that "proved the city's physical salvation"
In 1910, New York City was bursting at the seams as more and more people crowded into a limited supply of housing in the tenement districts of Manhattan and the older areas of Brooklyn. With no outlet for its exploding population, and the burgeoning social problems created by the overwhelming congestion, New York faced a serious crisis which city and state leaders addressed with dramatic measures. In March 1913, public officials and officers of the two existing rapid transit networks shook hands to seal a deal for a greatly expanded subway system which would more than double the size of the two existing transit networks.
At the time the largest and most expensive single municipal project ever attempted, the Dual System of Rapid Transit set the pattern of growth in New York City for decades to come, helped provide millions of families a better quality of life, and, in the words of Manhattan borough president George McAneny (1910-1913), "proved the city's physical salvation." It stands as that rare success story, an enormously complicated project undertaken against great odds which proved successful beyond all measure.
Published in conjunction with the History of the City of New York Project.
In 1910, New York City was bursting at the seams as more and more people crowded into a limited supply of housing in the tenement districts of Manhattan and the older areas of Brooklyn. With no outlet for its exploding population, and the burgeoning social problems created by the overwhelming congestion, New York faced a serious crisis which city and state leaders addressed with dramatic measures. In March 1913, public officials and officers of the two existing rapid transit networks shook hands to seal a deal for a greatly expanded subway system which would more than double the size of the two existing transit networks.
At the time the largest and most expensive single municipal project ever attempted, the Dual System of Rapid Transit set the pattern of growth in New York City for decades to come, helped provide millions of families a better quality of life, and, in the words of Manhattan borough president George McAneny (1910-1913), "proved the city's physical salvation." It stands as that rare success story, an enormously complicated project undertaken against great odds which proved successful beyond all measure.
Published in conjunction with the History of the City of New York Project.
442 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 31, 2008
This book takes an interesting topic and turns it boring. Plus, it's poorly written as well.
January 23, 2020
This book is primarily about the 1909-13 negotiations between New York City, the state government of New York, and private transit companies over subway expansion. The book shows that the city and its partners had very different agendas. City officials actually wanted the city to sprawl into undeveloped parts of Queens and Brooklyn, because they were worried that the overcrowding of Manhattan's poorer neighborhoods spread disease. (Of course, we now know that this problem was more related to poor sanitation than to density).
By contrast, transit companies wanted new subway lines to be concentrated in neighborhoods that were already built up, because then (as now) only in the densest areas can transit pay for itself. Ultimately, the transit companies went bankrupt and the city took over the subways- not just because subway lines went into less dense areas, but also because World War I inflation wiped out their profits by increasing construction and maintenance costs.
Most of this book focuses on financial details about the negotiations; as a result, it may be a bit dull for people who are not interested in such details.
By contrast, transit companies wanted new subway lines to be concentrated in neighborhoods that were already built up, because then (as now) only in the densest areas can transit pay for itself. Ultimately, the transit companies went bankrupt and the city took over the subways- not just because subway lines went into less dense areas, but also because World War I inflation wiped out their profits by increasing construction and maintenance costs.
Most of this book focuses on financial details about the negotiations; as a result, it may be a bit dull for people who are not interested in such details.
July 26, 2016
Thorough, especially when would like to know financing and negotiating details.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews