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The Demolitionists Unsatisfied Necessities of War? |
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The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and some fifty other organizations filed a lawsuit attempting to block the el's demolition. With regards to the mass meetings, however, no civic associations' names appeared on the flyer. In fact, many of these groups in the Bronx felt that the Home News' hyperbole was an embarrassment. A letter to the Mayor from the United Civic Associations of the Bronx urged La Guardia to disregard the "screaming headlines" of the Home News. This letter dismissed the mass meetings as "a politically inspired matter started by a few fellows who have grabbed a hold of the wrong issue." Most importantly, this letter included a list of forty-four Bronx civic associations that did not oppose the el's demolition. These forty-four associations were of all types, and from all areas of the Bronx. While the civic associations of Queens were unified in support of the el, many civic associations in the Bronx did not support the el, and did not wish to be associated with the loud movement in the el's defense. Roots of Bronx Indifference |
Second Avenue el trains made only eight stops in the Bronx. At five of these stations, along White Plains Road, Second Avenue el trains shared the tracks with trains from the IRT's Seventh Avenue and Lexington Avenue subways. At the other three stations, Second Avenue el trains shared the tracks with Third Avenue el trains. Map Link (107K). Bronx Second Avenue el riders thus had many alternative options for travel to Downtown Manhattan. More importantly, Second Avenue el trains did not penetrate most of the Bronx. In all but the Southeastern part of the borough, the Second Avenue el's demolition would have had no effect, except to the extent that crowding might increase on the Lexington Avenue subway or Third Avenue el. Despite its cry of "self-preservation," the only route that the Home News cited as being removed was that from the East Bronx to the Lower East Side. Surely the loss of that route would not have been a tragedy for most rush hour commuters. |
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©2001 Alexander Nobler Cohen. ©2001 The Composing Stack Inc. All rights reserved |
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