Last Subway

I'm a sucker for New York City history. Having followed the plight, and finally launch, of the second-ave subway (I lived alongside its construction for many years), Plotch offers an insightful look into the factors that came into play throughout its history. This is very well researched; I would highly recommend.

Superb book on the Second Avenue subway line in NYC.

Philip Mark Plotch traces the history of the line from its inception back in the beginning of the XX century to its eventual launch in the beginning of the XXI. He maintains laser focus throughout the book, digressing only to add clarity and providing context to the degree necessary. This is not a history of the NY subway with the Second Avenue as the centerpiece of the story, this is a detailed story of one line, when, why and how it ultimately it came about, contextualized in political, financial and historical turmoil of this and the previous centuries.

Overall, “Last Subway” provides a cohesive and vibrant portrait of NY subway administration, the Second Ave line and its perpetual haunting presence in the minds of residents and officials. The book is largely focused on the politics and behind-the-scenes infrastructure planning machinations, following the change in ownership of the subway, its leadership, changing priorities, state and city officials and sources of financing. Engineering and operational aspects are only mentioned in passing as to point out their perpetual under-funding-ness and increasing complexity.

Plotch did an amazing job researching his material, which is evidenced by the amount of citations and how many of them point to “interviews with author”. He spoke to everyone from managers in charge to construction workers, and examined a wide array of relevant documents. Consequently, there is a lot to learn from the book, even on the most surface level. For example, it was a discovery for me how long the hope to build a Second Ave line has been brewing, the degree to which the subway and other infrastructure projects are at whim of elected officials or the sheer scope of MTA’s never-ending lack of funds were also somewhat unexpected.

The book is written a little dryly, but hardly suffers from the ever-present non-fiction sin of endless repetition. It is a straightforward read.

All in all, a great book I’d recommend to anyone looking to learn more about the Second Ave line, NYC subway or the intricacies of public transit administration more generally. While I’ve approached it with only a superficial knowledge of the history of NY subway and found enough context, it seems having a more solid grounding in relevant history etc. could only be helpful.