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Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City
Last Subway is the fascinating and dramatic story behind New York City's struggle to build a new subway line under Second Avenue and improve transit services all across the city. With his extraordinary access to powerful players and internal documents, Philip Mark Plotch reveals why the city's subway system, once the best in the world, is now too often unreliable, overcrowded, and uncomfortable. He explains how a series of uninformed and self-serving elected officials have fostered false expectations about the city's ability to adequately maintain and significantly expand its transit system.
Since the 1920s, New Yorkers have been promised a Second Avenue subway. When the first of four planned phases opened on Manhattan's Upper East Side in 2017, subway service improved for tens of thousands of people. Riders have been delighted with the clean, quiet, and spacious new stations. Yet these types of accomplishments will not be repeated unless New Yorkers learn from their century-long struggle.
Last Subway offers valuable lessons in how governments can overcome political gridlock and enormous obstacles to build grand projects. However, it is also a cautionary tale for cities. Plotch reveals how false promises, redirected funds and political ambitions have derailed subway improvements. Given the ridiculously high cost of building new subways in New York and their lengthy construction period, the Second Avenue subway (if it is ever completed) will be the last subway built in New York for generations to come.
Since the 1920s, New Yorkers have been promised a Second Avenue subway. When the first of four planned phases opened on Manhattan's Upper East Side in 2017, subway service improved for tens of thousands of people. Riders have been delighted with the clean, quiet, and spacious new stations. Yet these types of accomplishments will not be repeated unless New Yorkers learn from their century-long struggle.
Last Subway offers valuable lessons in how governments can overcome political gridlock and enormous obstacles to build grand projects. However, it is also a cautionary tale for cities. Plotch reveals how false promises, redirected funds and political ambitions have derailed subway improvements. Given the ridiculously high cost of building new subways in New York and their lengthy construction period, the Second Avenue subway (if it is ever completed) will be the last subway built in New York for generations to come.
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Published February 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 27, 2022
If you want to know why NYC can't seem to build subways or keep them running, the answer is:
a) shortsighted political leadership (several governors refused to raise revenue for the MTA - some chose to saddle it with debt that raised revenue in the short run only to significantly increase debt service as a portion of operating expenses in the long run, after they were gone)
b) inefficient and expensive union work rules (unions required 25 people to be staffed on a tunnel boring machine that was staffed by 9 in Spain)
c) well resourced community members who can arbitrarily delay construction
d) increase in environmental regulations and (the average length of an environmental review has gone from a dozen pages in 1970 to nearly 1500+ in the 2000s)
e) a public that rewards leaders for opening new things instead of maintaining what we have (the 2017 opening of the 2nd Ave Subway caused a huge drop in reliability elsewhere)
The journey to build the Second Ave Subway illustrates all of these things at play. Quite frankly, it gives me very little hope that New York State, the MTA and NYC will be able to keep the subway in a state of good repair or will be able to deal with the challenge of climate change, let alone be able to build any new transit lines in the next 50 years.
a) shortsighted political leadership (several governors refused to raise revenue for the MTA - some chose to saddle it with debt that raised revenue in the short run only to significantly increase debt service as a portion of operating expenses in the long run, after they were gone)
b) inefficient and expensive union work rules (unions required 25 people to be staffed on a tunnel boring machine that was staffed by 9 in Spain)
c) well resourced community members who can arbitrarily delay construction
d) increase in environmental regulations and (the average length of an environmental review has gone from a dozen pages in 1970 to nearly 1500+ in the 2000s)
e) a public that rewards leaders for opening new things instead of maintaining what we have (the 2017 opening of the 2nd Ave Subway caused a huge drop in reliability elsewhere)
The journey to build the Second Ave Subway illustrates all of these things at play. Quite frankly, it gives me very little hope that New York State, the MTA and NYC will be able to keep the subway in a state of good repair or will be able to deal with the challenge of climate change, let alone be able to build any new transit lines in the next 50 years.
February 11, 2020
Abandon hope, all ye who enter. What Prince Andrew Cuomo says, goes.
As an employee of the most hated agency in NYC (maybe second, since everyone craps on NYPD these days), and a subway enthusiast in general, a lot of the basic backstory contained in this book wasn't new information to me. The last third or so of the book, which focused upon our egotistical governor is what really was eye opening.
He really is a narcissistic control freak who wants yes men filling the MTA. No wonder Andy Byford quit as NYC Transit president last month. I wouldn't want to work for such a control freak either. Cuomo doesn't give a rats ass about what would actually be good for the system, he'd rather just go for the shiny low hanging fruit. Who cares if the signal system is from the 1930s? You have WiFi and USB outlets to charge your phone during the resulting service disruption!
The corners Cuomo forced the MTA and contractors to cut to meet his deadline of January 1st, 2017 for the opening of the 2nd Avenue line is appalling. The city had been waiting 88 years for it to open, what's another 6 months to make sure things were done properly? Then the system as a whole suffers because Emperor Cuomo essentially dictated that resources be redirected to have 2nd Avenue open on the date he promised because he would be a failure if it didn't.
People like to dump on the MTA for dysfunction, but a lot of it starts elsewhere!
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC cuz this was right up my alley.
As an employee of the most hated agency in NYC (maybe second, since everyone craps on NYPD these days), and a subway enthusiast in general, a lot of the basic backstory contained in this book wasn't new information to me. The last third or so of the book, which focused upon our egotistical governor is what really was eye opening.
He really is a narcissistic control freak who wants yes men filling the MTA. No wonder Andy Byford quit as NYC Transit president last month. I wouldn't want to work for such a control freak either. Cuomo doesn't give a rats ass about what would actually be good for the system, he'd rather just go for the shiny low hanging fruit. Who cares if the signal system is from the 1930s? You have WiFi and USB outlets to charge your phone during the resulting service disruption!
The corners Cuomo forced the MTA and contractors to cut to meet his deadline of January 1st, 2017 for the opening of the 2nd Avenue line is appalling. The city had been waiting 88 years for it to open, what's another 6 months to make sure things were done properly? Then the system as a whole suffers because Emperor Cuomo essentially dictated that resources be redirected to have 2nd Avenue open on the date he promised because he would be a failure if it didn't.
People like to dump on the MTA for dysfunction, but a lot of it starts elsewhere!
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC cuz this was right up my alley.
January 16, 2020
Superb book on the Second Avenue subway line in NYC.
Philip Mark Plotch traces the history of the line from its inception back in the beginning of the XX century to its eventual launch in the beginning of the XXI. He maintains laser focus throughout the book, digressing only to add clarity and providing context to the degree necessary. This is not a history of the NY subway with the Second Avenue as the centerpiece of the story, this is a detailed story of one line, when, why and how it ultimately it came about, contextualized in political, financial and historical turmoil of this and the previous centuries.
Overall, “Last Subway” provides a cohesive and vibrant portrait of NY subway administration, the Second Ave line and its perpetual haunting presence in the minds of residents and officials. The book is largely focused on the politics and behind-the-scenes infrastructure planning machinations, following the change in ownership of the subway, its leadership, changing priorities, state and city officials and sources of financing. Engineering and operational aspects are only mentioned in passing as to point out their perpetual under-funding-ness and increasing complexity.
Plotch did an amazing job researching his material, which is evidenced by the amount of citations and how many of them point to “interviews with author”. He spoke to everyone from managers in charge to construction workers, and examined a wide array of relevant documents. Consequently, there is a lot to learn from the book, even on the most surface level. For example, it was a discovery for me how long the hope to build a Second Ave line has been brewing, the degree to which the subway and other infrastructure projects are at whim of elected officials or the sheer scope of MTA’s never-ending lack of funds were also somewhat unexpected.
The book is written a little dryly, but hardly suffers from the ever-present non-fiction sin of endless repetition. It is a straightforward read.
All in all, a great book I’d recommend to anyone looking to learn more about the Second Ave line, NYC subway or the intricacies of public transit administration more generally. While I’ve approached it with only a superficial knowledge of the history of NY subway and found enough context, it seems having a more solid grounding in relevant history etc. could only be helpful.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
Philip Mark Plotch traces the history of the line from its inception back in the beginning of the XX century to its eventual launch in the beginning of the XXI. He maintains laser focus throughout the book, digressing only to add clarity and providing context to the degree necessary. This is not a history of the NY subway with the Second Avenue as the centerpiece of the story, this is a detailed story of one line, when, why and how it ultimately it came about, contextualized in political, financial and historical turmoil of this and the previous centuries.
Overall, “Last Subway” provides a cohesive and vibrant portrait of NY subway administration, the Second Ave line and its perpetual haunting presence in the minds of residents and officials. The book is largely focused on the politics and behind-the-scenes infrastructure planning machinations, following the change in ownership of the subway, its leadership, changing priorities, state and city officials and sources of financing. Engineering and operational aspects are only mentioned in passing as to point out their perpetual under-funding-ness and increasing complexity.
Plotch did an amazing job researching his material, which is evidenced by the amount of citations and how many of them point to “interviews with author”. He spoke to everyone from managers in charge to construction workers, and examined a wide array of relevant documents. Consequently, there is a lot to learn from the book, even on the most surface level. For example, it was a discovery for me how long the hope to build a Second Ave line has been brewing, the degree to which the subway and other infrastructure projects are at whim of elected officials or the sheer scope of MTA’s never-ending lack of funds were also somewhat unexpected.
The book is written a little dryly, but hardly suffers from the ever-present non-fiction sin of endless repetition. It is a straightforward read.
All in all, a great book I’d recommend to anyone looking to learn more about the Second Ave line, NYC subway or the intricacies of public transit administration more generally. While I’ve approached it with only a superficial knowledge of the history of NY subway and found enough context, it seems having a more solid grounding in relevant history etc. could only be helpful.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
May 17, 2020
Last Subway: The Long Wait for the Next Train in New York City by Philip Mark Plotch is the long history of the 2nd Avenue line along the eastern side of Manhattan. It is also a commentary on public works projects and the unnecessary hurdles they often face.
As a history it is well written and well researched. Obstacles, both physical and political (I lump financial in with political), are given for the on again off again project and, finally, the completion of the first phase and contextualized within the period they occurred. Strictly as a history I might have given a slightly lower rating, though still a very good one.
But it is what the book says about such projects everywhere that really put the book over the top for me. Plotch doesn't try to extrapolate from this project to other projects but the basic problems are the same for anything other than a limited time and investment infrastructure upgrade. Professionals are given little to no say over almost all aspects of any such project. Rather than a committee or public vote to determine a need then professionals to determine the best and most cost efficient way to accomplish that end, politicians hang these projects in front of voters to get votes. Then, if it can't be accomplished cheaply and quickly, they don't follow through because another election cycle will begin and they have reelection as their number one priority, not citizen welfare and public safety. And the cycle goes on and on.
This is not a partisan issue nor is it limited to large urban centers. It runs the gamut from public transit systems to highways and bridges, even many environmental projects that would require any kind of construction and/or temporary inconvenience to achieve a long term good. There needs to be some kind of process that separates politicians from anything except the initial decision-making phase about the need for a project. Once a need is established, it needs to be considered as something that will be funded, not back-burnered because it will gain someone a few votes. Some things are just too important to a functioning society to leave it open to the whims of politicians constantly thinking ahead to the next election.
I recommend this for history buffs, especially those interested in urban centers and/or New York City specifically. I also think it will be a valuable read for those interested in why so many infrastructure projects either never get off the ground or are abandoned well before completion.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
As a history it is well written and well researched. Obstacles, both physical and political (I lump financial in with political), are given for the on again off again project and, finally, the completion of the first phase and contextualized within the period they occurred. Strictly as a history I might have given a slightly lower rating, though still a very good one.
But it is what the book says about such projects everywhere that really put the book over the top for me. Plotch doesn't try to extrapolate from this project to other projects but the basic problems are the same for anything other than a limited time and investment infrastructure upgrade. Professionals are given little to no say over almost all aspects of any such project. Rather than a committee or public vote to determine a need then professionals to determine the best and most cost efficient way to accomplish that end, politicians hang these projects in front of voters to get votes. Then, if it can't be accomplished cheaply and quickly, they don't follow through because another election cycle will begin and they have reelection as their number one priority, not citizen welfare and public safety. And the cycle goes on and on.
This is not a partisan issue nor is it limited to large urban centers. It runs the gamut from public transit systems to highways and bridges, even many environmental projects that would require any kind of construction and/or temporary inconvenience to achieve a long term good. There needs to be some kind of process that separates politicians from anything except the initial decision-making phase about the need for a project. Once a need is established, it needs to be considered as something that will be funded, not back-burnered because it will gain someone a few votes. Some things are just too important to a functioning society to leave it open to the whims of politicians constantly thinking ahead to the next election.
I recommend this for history buffs, especially those interested in urban centers and/or New York City specifically. I also think it will be a valuable read for those interested in why so many infrastructure projects either never get off the ground or are abandoned well before completion.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
October 13, 2024
A good book detailing the history of the Second Avenue subway (from its history of the Second Avenue elevated line being torn down so that the street could be more accessible to cars/there could be more light) to it's current state of Phase I of the subway line being completed (and 3 more phases to go).
It's quite frustrating to read about how politicians kept raising debt in an effort to build the subway (and it's definitely what New Yorkers wanted), but then would use the money for other purposes (like for other transit projects or just to maintain fares). And so the project kept getting delayed and the costs consequently kept ballooning. And with each change in administration, people had different priorities, and this kept getting sacrificed. Phase 1 (or the "stubway") was completed, but I think it remains uncertain how long it would take for the full line to be built.
This was definitely an interesting topic, but the book was a bit slow to get through because it's written chronologically, and as mentioned above the same things kept happening (just with different people involved), so it also felt a bit repetitive. However since it is meant to be a history of the subway this is understandable!
It's quite frustrating to read about how politicians kept raising debt in an effort to build the subway (and it's definitely what New Yorkers wanted), but then would use the money for other purposes (like for other transit projects or just to maintain fares). And so the project kept getting delayed and the costs consequently kept ballooning. And with each change in administration, people had different priorities, and this kept getting sacrificed. Phase 1 (or the "stubway") was completed, but I think it remains uncertain how long it would take for the full line to be built.
This was definitely an interesting topic, but the book was a bit slow to get through because it's written chronologically, and as mentioned above the same things kept happening (just with different people involved), so it also felt a bit repetitive. However since it is meant to be a history of the subway this is understandable!
February 11, 2020
I always thought Andrew Cuomo was a special kind of evil, but it turns out he's just the latest in a long line of tyrants ruling New York State and butting heads with whoever was unlucky enough to be the head of the MTA at the time. This book goes deeply into the misdeeds of mayors and governors past and present along the long long timeline of the attempt to build the Second Ave Subway line. It was first proposed in 1936 as part of the IND Second System and nearly 80 years later the first of 4 phases finally opened, but at what cost?
An excellent history lesson. Too bad the author left out the story of how the Montague tube project finished a month early thanks to hard work of thousands of MTA employees and contractors, but then Cuomo forced it to remain closed for 2 more weeks because he insisted at being at a ribbon cutting, where he proceeded to take full credit for the project getting completed on time, as he stood on the tracks without any PPE, insulting every worker beneath him.
An excellent history lesson. Too bad the author left out the story of how the Montague tube project finished a month early thanks to hard work of thousands of MTA employees and contractors, but then Cuomo forced it to remain closed for 2 more weeks because he insisted at being at a ribbon cutting, where he proceeded to take full credit for the project getting completed on time, as he stood on the tracks without any PPE, insulting every worker beneath him.
March 24, 2024
This is an excellent historical account of all of the stages of planning, attempting to build, and building New York City's infamous Second Avenue subway project. People wondering why the hell it took over a hundred years and billions in cost overruns to finish just the first phase of the line will find the answers in this book. They include high real estate values in the area, complex underground utilities in Manhattan of which there are no precise diagrams, the high cost of delivering materials because NYC has little freight train access, powerful unions forcing the city to hire often twice as many workers as is necessary, and those unions negotiating salaries for construction workers that are 50% higher (or more) than employers in places like London, Munich, Amsterdam, and Tokyo. That's just the tip of the iceberg — there's so much more. I do wish the book had delved more into potential solutions to these problems, but I recognize that that wasn't its purpose. I also would have enjoyed a deeper dive into the union piece. Still, this is an incredibly valuable read.
April 10, 2022
it’s a fine history of a long, drawn-out transit initiative, but that’s about it. i’m sure a lot of work went into research to put together the book, but i think plotch could have done far better. as another reviewer mentioned, the book is incredibly easy to put down. i love all things transit, but the author’s self-importance — he starts the book off by, basically, saying he was the only person who understood how the finances behind developing transit systems work — distracted me so much that i could not find the content enjoyable. his oddly neoliberal tone also took away from the actual content.
while there are bits and pieces of interesting information, such as quotes from workers and executives directly involved with the process, the book provides little more detail than a thorough reading of two or three wikipedia articles.
while there are bits and pieces of interesting information, such as quotes from workers and executives directly involved with the process, the book provides little more detail than a thorough reading of two or three wikipedia articles.
May 21, 2020
Plotch begins his book with an anecdote that suggests the pages that follow will offer new perspectives rooted in structural power analysis & behind the scenes truth-telling regarding both the MTA and NYC/NYS power brokers. What follows instead is rehashed fairly conventional wisdom that accepts contemporaneous news accounts & interviews with self-interested players at face value. A solid recounting of the past but his grasp of speaking truth to power slips away as he gets closer & closer to present time & present players. Missing lots of real talk about real estate & finance interests vis a vis debt & property values as manifested by government & agency decisions.
November 5, 2025
A chronicle of the current state of US public works told through the lens of the saga of the 2nd avenue subway. The author illustrates how through a variety of visions and mayors, the same hurdles persist.
The connection between New Yorkers and public transit is so obviously necessary that you wonder why it’s not happening. Plotch’s chronicles how the tension between a desire for quick political wins, genuine vision for expansion and the barriers of labor, regulation, and policy lead to the most expensive subway project per mile in history.
The connection between New Yorkers and public transit is so obviously necessary that you wonder why it’s not happening. Plotch’s chronicles how the tension between a desire for quick political wins, genuine vision for expansion and the barriers of labor, regulation, and policy lead to the most expensive subway project per mile in history.
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October 5, 2022had to read this since 86th/2nd has been my stop since i moved to new york last year. really informative book, and a surprisingly fun and easy read for what's essentially 300 pages of bureaucratic/political infighting and construction issues. strongly recommended for anyone with even a modicum of interest in new york politics or mass transit.
April 12, 2020
This book goes pretty slow thru a history of New York City. It was easy to put down and forgettable. But then again, I'm from the Pacific Northwest and don't care that much about New York City politics.
May 16, 2020
Interesting historical overview. Could use more context on various financial stats (X cost Y % of total caped at the time, Z% of total balance sheet, etc.) Magnitude of the numbers gets lost.
January 16, 2021
This is a great history of what went wrong with the Second Avenue Subway and why we will never see phase 2 built.
September 30, 2024
Total must read
September 22, 2025
I didn't realize that the Second Ave Subway is a metaphor for the wider system. The history of SAS is basically the history of the whole subway system, or it at least gave Plotch a decent reason to write down much of that history. The transition from elevated rail in the early 20th century, wrangling between different private sector and public entities in the 20s-40s, collapsing ridership through the 50s and 60s, mismanagement and the nadir of the 70s, the revival under Ravitch starting in the 80s, the tenuous peace of the 90s, and the transformations wrought by 9/11. It's all in this book. The book has many useful lessons about how NOT to run a major infrastructure project; chiefly don't lie. Politicians continually and knowingly underestimated costs and overestimated construction timelines. The book also highlights how unwilling people are to consider tradeoffs. The subways cost a lot of money to maintain, even more to expand, but everyone wants someone else to pay for it. But as the book makes clear, New York needs the subway - so it needs to figure out a way to better manage the system. Hopefully the second phase of the second avenue subway goes smoother.
June 29, 2022
Haven't read this book yet, but as a born and bred New Yorker, the city's subway system is obsolete, dirty and antiquated. There are transit systems in other cities around the world that are more up to date and can move at least 10 times faster than NYC's subways. The turnstiles need to be made wider and should not have to be pushed when you swipe your Metro-card in. The PA systems also need to be upgraded because you barely hear any announcements from the conductors. Sometimes the countdown clocks do not display an accurate arrival time. Too often there are delays due to signal malfunctions. Also we need to newer subway cars that have an accordion slinky connecting them instead of having to open doors that are dangerous to walk between the current subway cars. Also need working elevators and escalators at all the stations for people that can't access the station or the platforms via stairs and not enough stations have elevators or escalators.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews