5. Third Avenue Bronx Line
Image via Wikimedia Commons, Ardee Films
One of the longest lasting remnants of the original group of elevated trains that ran throughout Manhattan, the Bronx portion of the Third Avenue Elevated ran from as early as 1886 in some parts, until its closure and demolition in 1973 during the city’s fiscal crisis. This line has since been replaced in some form by the expansion of the Metro-North and several buses that follow some portions of the old route. Bringing back this line would give the neighborhoods of Fordham, Tremont, and Morrisania an extra boost in transit options that would make it easier to get around (and let’s be honest here, the Bronx doesn’t get enough love).
The city has been changing and growing exponentially in recent years, and with an increasing emphasis on transit reform, the MTA has been put to the task of working with these changes. There have been many routes and lines that ran throughout the city and would greatly serve straphangers if they were to be reimagined. Although the MTA may be focused on new and expensive projects that aim to expand the system, those looking back at the past can somehow hope that the old ways can be used to advance the future.
Next, check out 12 of NYC’s Lost Subway and Rail Lines