Flashback: What Happened To Those Moving Sidewalks?

Did you know that the first time a moving sidewalk was proposed for New York City it was 1871? It was brought up again in 1902 for the Brooklyn Bridge, according to EphemeralNY, after which it was debated in the newspapers. Eventually Mayor Seth Low spiked the idea, forcing generations of pedestrians to use their own two legs to get anywhere. Until 1910, when the idea rose from the dead! This time, they were to replace the subway system... which sounds like a highly unenjoyable, fume-heavy experience.

To backtrack, in 1871, the idea came from local wine merchant Alfred Speer, who patented the first "endless-travelling sidewalk"—his idea was to build an elevated one moving along Broadway. It was suggested that boring "stop 'n' chats" would become a thing of the past as one would just have to "step on the passing sidewalk to be carried rapidly beyond sight or hearing of his tormentor." Cause of death on this one: no financial backer.

New Scientist reports that by 1902 New Yorkers were fed up with the rush hour crush; one commuter calling it a "daily torture." So Bridge Commissioner Gustav Lindenthal figured some high-speed moving walkways oughta do the trick, and proposed a looping system with 4 walkways on the Brooklyn Bridge, the fastest containing benches that would whisk pedestrians across the river. It's suspected that Brooklyn Rapid Transit had a hand in burying the idea, as they had a monopoly on the borough's public transit at the time.

Still, proposals came in, with moving sidewalks suggested for the Williamsburg Bridge, Wall Street, and as mentioned, in the subway system. The New York Times even wondered "why this improvement was not considered when this present [subway] system... was built". And in 1932 a similar idea involving an elevated tube system was proposed.

Take a look at the moving sidewalk in action, in Paris in 1900. And if you think the idea of incorporating those into the city is crazy, check out what the world thought 2008 would look like back in 1968.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on March 8, 2010 3:39 PM

Comments [rss]

Poppa

Appreciate the archival footage and pics, and I find endearing the Jules Vernian turn-of-the-century optimism about technology's potential.

But, yeah - it's best that we just walk ourselves.

UO

Um, it's called the subway.

Think2wice

Some time around 1932 they would have started breaking down. By 1953 none of them would be operating. Robert Moses would then seize the tunnels and repurpose them for cars only.

Using the money to build the Dual Contracts instead of this boondoggle was the better choice.

Spirit of 76

This would have brought on the epidemic of obesity decades earlier. Shades of Wall-E.

Såkandulæredet

This idea was in Seinfeld, in "The Pie".

GEORGE: Maybe you said something that offended her.

JERRY: The only thing I can think of is I told her we should have those moving walkways all over the city.

GEORGE: Like at the airport? (getting excited)

JERRY: Yeah.

GEORGE: That's a great idea!!!

JERRY: Tell me about it!

GEORGE: We could be zipping all over the place.

JERRY: They could at least try it.

GEORGE: They never try anything.

JERRY: What's the harm?

GEORGE: No harm!

aspiringrapper

And what do they propose be done about the lard-asses of the city who insist on standing square in the center of escalators & things like this at JFK, making it impossible for more agile people to pass, & ride it like they're on some ride at Disneyland?

irritant

There are plenty of places in town which are just crying out for the type of slidewalk common in just about every other city... and just starting to appear in the NY Area airports.

Oh, and we've got a short version of one (just one way, mind you) in the 23rd street/Ely Ave/Courthouse Sq. subway station.

picture: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?97206

Using these in place of the Times Square Shuttle would make way, way, too much sense to ever happen.

longacre

There are two at the LIRR/AirTrain station in Jamaica, as well, but they're sort of hidden and don't go very far anyway.

The one at Court Square is broken the majority of the time.

Wza

Still waiting for the flying cars of 1995.

nicemarmot

That is a really, truly awful idea. Almost as bad as damming the Hudson and making it into a giant freeway.

jaycjay

Let's concentrate first on getting the escalators we already have working, before even thinking about installing more machinery of that kind.