Good article on the construction of this addition in the Sunday New York Times magazine section.When I rode the 3rd Ave EL in 1952 the 2nd Ave . line was promised in a few years. A few years stretched into 60.We used to ride the 3rd Ave EL from Canal to 34th Street instead of the Lex line as it was less crowded.
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Bill, it's NYC :-) and I don't think to may guys on the forum read the Sunday Times on Sunday, it's a beach day!
Bill,
IN the early days of the 20th century when the IRT was proposing their plans for expansion one of the plans were to make the 2nd Ave el double decked. The 2 express tracks on the upper portion and 2 local tracks below. The IRT offered the Public Service Commision free transfers for the public on all of their lines if they allowed them this proposal. They were turned down. All of the eleveted strucrures in Manhattan were torn down to provide real estate developers to build. The West side elevateds had enough alternate lines to compinsate for the loss, but the East side had none. The 2nd Ave subway was proposed in the 20's but it never happened. Then in the 50's a bond issue was created for construction of the new subway. They used the money for other things and it never got done. The East side IRT was and still is way overcrowded. With the East side access being buils for the LIRR to enter Grand Central it can only get worse. The 2nd Ave subway as it stands now will only be a 2 track line not going downtown or uptown far enough to really matter. And so it goes.
Nate
One of the important services provided by the 2nd ave el was the one seat ride from Downtown Manhattan financial center over the Queensborough Bridge to either the residential communities of Astoria or Corona later Flushing. This service was closed in 1942 and never replaced by a Second Ave Subway . And there are no plans to do so. while there is direct train service from Astoria into Manhattan and Downtown, it is via a longer slower route. Folks from Flushing must change in Manhattan to get downtown
When the 6th ave subway opened in 1940, it did not serve Downtown Manhattan as the El did. South of West 4th street, Its route took it to the lower East side and on into Brooklyn. At the time these els were demolished, the job centers in Manhattan were in the Downtown area. The work patterns have changed over the years, driven no doubt by the subway routes that evolved after the Els were eliminated.
Amazing, train and commuter history you gentlemen provide.
I remember some trolleys and the Third Avenue El, in Mann.
I believe, the Second Avenue line won't be much help, then again, I'm no logistics expert.
RJL.
One set of R11 subway cars were built as the prototypes for the promised 2nd Av. subway in 1949 but that was as far as that project went. When I was working on 2nd Av. at 110th St. between 1972 and 1975 construction was underway building the line but because of the city having serious cash problems the project was halted. Now finally it looks like the subway line will finally be finished to be opened by 2017 it is planned now.
Ed G. (Along The New Haven Line Of Metro-North and Amtrak)
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