Map of the Day: Time Travel on a Subway Map

Did you ever want to see an animated map of how the city's subways were built? Okay, probably not, but 2nd Avenue Sagas points us to a map someone made that shows the lines in the order they were built.

Starting with the Franklin St. Shuttle, remnants of the original Brooklyn El system, and the far reaches of the J line which contain the oldest surviving transit structures still in use in the city, the map moves on to the original IRT lines before extending through time. The subways and the city literally come to life as the map unfolds its stations and tunnels.

It certainly provides an interesting look at the history of the system.

We wonder what Michael Hertz would think about this map. For a larger image, head on over to Appealing Industries, site of the person who did the animation.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By tien mao on September 6, 2007 3:30 PM

Comments [rss]

MT

Wow. I had no idea there were two small Brooklyn lines before the Manhattan line. I always thought when the City Hall subway station opened that day it heralded the first line of all.

Does anyone know the history behind these two small Brooklyn lines?

guest

Why is New Lots on the 3 missing?

Toby von Meistersinger

Re #7:

The original source, 2nd Avenue Sagas, had Franklin St. Shuttle, but a commenter there pointed out the error. What later became the line was the site of the worst accident in subway history, the Malbone Street Wreck. They renamed Malbone Street to Empire Boulevard. Although there is a bit of Malbone Street still there between Clove Road and New York Avenue in Flatbush, not far from the scene of the wreck.

guest

Franklin Ave NOT St. Shuttle

Toby von Meistersinger

Well it depends on what your definition of built is. The lines to Coney Island and Brighton Beach opened in the mid to late 1870s as steam railroads and they were eventually morphed into the subway with connections being built. And the line out to the Rockaways (now the A train) was from the late 1890s but entered in subway service when connected in the 1950s.