With all the talk about renovations and alterations to the subway system in recent years, the MTA has always focused on the present and future. However, some of the most interesting and innovative ideas regarding transit can be taken from the subway’s extensive (114 year old!) history. Here is a list of 5 subway routes that should be brought back from the depths of the subway’s past.

1. G Train to Forest Hills-71st Avenue

The G train used to run all the way from Smith-9th Streets to Forest Hills-71st Avenue for quite a number of years before being cut back in Queens to Court Square in 2001 temporarily, and permanently in 2010 due to the MTA’s financial crisis. Since then, the growing populations in gentrified neighborhoods along the G line have greatly increased ridership and created a need for more connections to other growing areas, such as Jackson Heights and Forest Hills. By extending the route back to Forest Hills, the G can be more of a useful connection between Brooklyn and Queens, in addition to decreasing the amount of riders on the already packed Queens Boulevard lines. This idea has been brought up to the MTA since the original cut back, but was met with opposition due to concerns regarding track capacity.

Learn more about the history of the New York City Subway on our Underground Tour!

Underground Tour of the NYC Subway