1924 Traffic Congestion Solution: Drain the East River!

In this issue of Popular Science, circa 1924, there's an article discussing New York's traffic problem — which at the time was reportedly causing the city to lose over $1M a day. One proposed solution: drain the East River and convert it into a 5-mile system accommodating roadways and the subway, while also providing parking spaces in garages and housing city centers.

The idea was that of the deputy police commissioner of traffic at the time, John Harriss. If it had been carried out, there would have been a dam put up near the Williamsburg Bridge, as well as at Hell Gate... and an "imposing City Hall" would be placed midway through the thoroughfare. And of course, they'd have to run a canal straight through the middle of Western Brooklyn and Queens to accommodate shipping — that might have put a crimp in the gentrification of Williamsburg and Long Island City.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on January 16, 2010 1:00 PM

Comments [rss]

Splicer

Paging Albert Speer.

S.K.

Perhaps the shoals between Coney Island and Sandy Hook can be raised into artificial islands as a possible 6th borough.

King Hippo

In Dubai, this would be a weekend project.

Wza

We can name the area EaRiv!

Snoopy

Or EXBRTU, or Williwest, or BGFL, Bloomberg Gardens or ...

Raise up your hands here people and help us out.

Let's have a big shout out to those wanting to have affordable housing. But of course the city will build a wall facing same and it will make the Aurelian Wall in Rome seem like a picket fence.

NannyState

It wouldn't be kosher to pave over the city's biggest cemetery.

Snoopy

Strange. You don't look Italian. What's the concern?

NannyState

Italian with a little Irish underneath.

Snoopy

The plan has it's good points and bad points. It will eliminate the bridge and tunnel people coming from the east, since there will be no more bridges or tunnels, but at the same time now they will take cabs or drive in at more access points.

But the biggest problem I see here is that the small mouth bass in the East River will have their breeding grounds disturbed.

HOTCUP

epic.

536,000 queens pop. at the time.

longacre

That actually sounds like a lot, since much of Queens was still farmland long after WWII.

evanberkowitz

Look at page 64 of that issue---there are Snuggies!

S.D.

...

...

It's true!!

LaliP

hahaha!!

Spirit of 76

Hey, don't give Bloomberg any ideas. All that extra real estate would be worth untold billions at today's prices. And they can always put some water turbines under that to generate electricity.