By Michele Alperin
Manhattan was already crowded in 1900, and the city needed a way to efficiently move people around. Similarly it needed a way to move people to the undeveloped land surrounding Manhattan. The solution was the subway system.
Early Rapid Transit
Toward the end of the 19th century, Brooklyn resorts financed new steam railroads to bring people to the beach and the racetracks, and the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad Company built elevated lines through Brooklyn and in 1883 over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan.
Interborough Rapid Transit
The Interborough Rapid Transit Co., or IRT, completed its first subway line in 1904. The subway quickly gained popularity for its speed, express service and freedom from weather delays.
Dual Contracts
To speed the construction of new lines, the city divided contracts between the IRT, which would expand existing Manhattan, Brooklyn and Bronx lines, and the BMT, or Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp., which would create new lines in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The period of 1913 to 1931 saw rapid subway growth.
Independent Subway System
In the 1930s, the IND, or Independent Subway System, added additional lines on routes that had been serviced above ground by the older elevated trains.
Unification
In 1940 the city united the three subway lines and took over ownership, and in 1953 the state legislature created New York City Transit, which in 1968 became part of the Metropolitan Transit Authority.
About the Author:
Michele Alperin is a freelance writer with more than 10 years' experience. She specializes in business, arts and Judaism, and her work has appeared in a variety of print and online publications, including MyJewishLearning.com, "U.S.1," "Princeton Packet," "Jewish State" and "Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles." She has master's degrees in business and Jewish education.
