Will the subway ever be expanded? (and a depressing 1939 expansion map) (New York: neighborhood, buying)

[Fred314X]

There are quite a few places around the city where bits and pieces of the "Second System" were actually roughed in (which would make actual construction a lot easier to accomplish, should a medium-sized miracle occur!)

At South 4 Street in Williamsburg, for instance, there's a huge six-track station that was actually built. If you want to know what the finished product would've looked like, take the A, C or G train to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street. The South 4 Street station would've accommodated a series of new lines branching out across Brooklyn.

The middle track at Bedford-Nostrand on the G line was put there for the Second System. There would've been a line extending east across Brooklyn, and coming up aboveground to connect with the existing M line out to Metropolitan Avenue.

And if you take the F train to East Broadway, you can see a series of ceiling beams at one end of the station angled differently from all the others. That was for a new line that would have turned off.

It really is a shame; the people who built our transit system were nothing short of visionaries. The standards seem to be a lot lower nowadays.

[009]

South 4th St. underground photos.

More info and other stations: http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/aba...indsecsys.html

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by ddhboy

I'm not to sure about some of the lines, since in reality many of them would be redundant. The Utica Avenue line would have to be built above ground, which would conflict and destroy Eastern Parkway, unless the city would have to bury the line deep underground in order to avoid the 4,3 and the A,C, not to mention that your talking about building on a pretty steep hill. When you go to Manhattan it gets worse since you have like 6, 7 lines that would merge on the 6th avenue line. Aside from which, Most of the routs missing here have been supplemented by bus routes and is now considered feeders into the regular system now.

the utica avenue line was planned to be built above ground....i'm not sure where it started but i know it was definitely going to be underground at fulton street, because the A train station was built to accomodate it.

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

the utica avenue line was planned to be built above ground....i'm not sure where it started but i know it was definitely going to be underground at fulton street, because the A train station was built to accomodate it.

I would like to add that they were thinking to make a subway in staten island as well. However, I do not know if they are going to proceed with it.

[BKTony]

Originally Posted by nycricanpapi

I would like to add that they were thinking to make a subway in staten island as well. However, I do not know if they are going to proceed with it.

I heard that they have proposed to have the subway on S.I. The problem with that is I think, that almost one third of Staten Island is like protected nature preserves. So any subway construction there will cause drama with environmentalists.

[7 Wishes]

Interestingly, the Rockaway line on the map did exist, but not with the MTA, I think it was some other railroad that went bankrupt and the MTA bought it and opened it in 1956 or so.

[NYC1DAY]

Originally Posted by BKTony

I heard that they have proposed to have the subway on S.I. The problem with that is I think, that almost one third of Staten Island is like protected nature preserves. So any subway construction there will cause drama with environmentalists.

I would love it if the subway was extended to Staten Island.

The subway expansion would make Staten Island feel more like the other 4 boroughs

[BKTony]

Originally Posted by NYC1DAY

I would love it if the subway was extended to Staten Island.

The subway expansion would make Staten Island feel more like the other 4 boroughs

I agree with you on that. The lake of train or subway access is the main reason other NYers always joke that S.I. is not part of NYC. The problem with putting a subway on S.I. was first the MTA claimed there was not a large enough population on S.I. Now it all the parks and nature preserves would be ruined. I am sure the rare endangered birds that are in S.I. could cause unwanted attention on a national level if they are disturbed.

[NYC1DAY]

Originally Posted by BKTony

I agree with you on that. The lake of train or subway access is the main reason other NYers always joke that S.I. is not part of NYC. The problem with putting a subway on S.I. was first the MTA claimed there was not a large enough population on S.I. Now it all the parks and nature preserves would be ruined. I am sure the rare endangered birds that are in S.I. could cause unwanted attention on a national level if they are disturbed.

The Staten Island population is around 500,000, which is a city by other areas standards

I believe that Staten Island would have been in contention for more entertainment events if it had subway access available. The lastest would be the NJ Nets possibly moving to Staten Island instead of Brooklyn (just a example).

If Staten Island wants to get more events and entertainment options thrown their way then they need the subway to do it.

[hotnikks]

Originally Posted by SeventhFloor

the utica avenue line was planned to be built above ground....i'm not sure where it started but i know it was definitely going to be underground at fulton street, because the A train station was built to accomodate it.

all I know is that I could have used this line in the 80's as I grew up by Utica and Clarendon avenues. only buses around