Initial attempts Second Avenue Subway

a space in roof of second avenue station second avenue subway have passed through.

after world war i, new york city subway experienced surge in ridership. 1920, 1.3 billion annual passengers riding subway, compared 523 million annual riders 7 years before war. in 1919, new york public service commission launched study @ behest of engineer daniel l. turner determine improvements needed in city s public transport system. turner s final paper, titled proposed comprehensive rapid transit system, massive plan calling new routes under every north-south manhattan avenue, extensions lines in brooklyn , queens, , several crossings of narrows staten island. among plans massive trunk line under second avenue consisting of @ least 6 tracks , numerous branches throughout brooklyn, queens, , bronx; in turn, second , third avenue elevated lines knocked down make room 6-track subway. paper revised in january 1927.

on september 15, 1929, board of transportation of city of new york (bot) tentatively approved expansion, included second avenue line projected construction cost of $98,900,000 (equivalent $1,367,000,000 in 2016), not counting land acquisition. in north, several spur lines in bronx merge four-track trunk line, crossing harlem river south 125th street. there 6 tracks 125th street link ind sixth avenue line @ 61st street, 4 tracks 61st street chambers street, , 2 tracks chambers street pine street. great depression began year , soaring costs of expansion became unmanageable. construction on first phase of ind behind schedule, , city , state no longer able provide funding. 1930, line scaled down, line 125th houston streets complete 1940, spur along 34th street done 1948. scaled-down plan postponed in 1931. 1932, board of transportation had modified plan further reduce costs, omitting branch in bronx, , truncating line s southern terminus nassau street loop.

further revision of plan , more studies followed. 1939, construction had been postponed indefinitely, short length being completed above second avenue station. second avenue line relegated proposed status, , number 14 on board of transportation s list of important transportation projects. line cut 2 tracks single northern branch through throggs neck, bronx, connection bmt broadway line in manhattan, , continuation south onto ind fulton street line in brooklyn via line s court street station. subway s projected cost went us$249 million (equivalent $4,054,000,000 in 2016). united states entry world war ii in 1941 halted urgent public works projects, delaying second avenue line once again.

the second avenue el demolished in september 1942. photo taken @ first avenue 13th street, looking south.

as part of unification of 3 subway companies comprised new york city subway in 1940, elevated lines being shut down on city , replaced subways. northern half of second avenue elevated, serving upper east side , east harlem, closed on june 11, 1940; southern half, running through lower manhattan, east midtown , across queensborough bridge queens, closed on june 13, 1942. demolition of second avenue elevated caused overcrowding on astoria , flushing lines in queens, no longer had direct service manhattan s far east side. because of elevated line s closure, corresponding increase in east side s population, need second avenue subway increased.

in 1944, bot superintendent philip e. pheifer put forth proposal second avenue subway services, branch extensively off b division. subway opened 1951, 1945, plans second avenue subway again revised. plan put forth in 1947 colonel sidney h. bingham, city planner , former interborough rapid transit company (irt) engineer. o dwyer , gross believed construction of second avenue subway line vital both increasing capacity on existing lines , allowing new branch lines built. bingham s proposal involved more branch lines , track connections did phiefer s, , similar 1960s , 1990s phased proposals, built in sections. however, next year, new york city short $145 million needed $800 million program rehabilitation , proposed capital improvements. city petitioned new york state legislature exceed $655 million debt ceiling city spend $500 million on subway construction, request denied.

a r11 car, ten of built second avenue subway.

the bot ordered ten new prototype subway cars made of stainless steel budd company. these r11 cars, called because of contract number, delivered in 1949 , intended second avenue subway. cost us$100,000 (equivalent $1,000,000 in 2016) each; train became known million dollar train . cars featured porthole style round windows , new public address system. reflecting public health concerns of day, regarding polio, r11 cars equipped electrostatic air filters , ultraviolet lamps in ventilation systems kill germs.

in 1949, queens , lower manhattan residents complained second avenue subway not create better transit options them. year later, revised plan devised involved connections queens. new york voters approved bond measure construction in 1951, , city barely able raise requisite $559 million construction effort. however, onset of korean war caused soaring prices construction materials , saw beginning of massive inflation. money 1951 bond measure diverted buy new cars, lengthen platforms, , maintain other parts of aging new york city subway system. out of half-billion-dollar bond measure, $112 million (equivalent $1,033,000,000 in 2016), or 22% of original amount, went toward second avenue subway. then, construction due start either 1952 or 1957, estimated completion 1958 @ earliest.

the third avenue elevated, other elevated line in area, closed on may 13, 1955, , demolished in 1956.> lexington avenue line subway transportation option on east side, leading overcrowding. 1957, 1951 bond issue had been entirely used other projects, , new york times despaired of line s ever being built. cost more $500,000,000 , require new bond issue, wrote 1 reporter.

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