1929, it was a very good year when it was born.
A year plenty fine, in ’29
1940, it was a very good year for Second Ave,
No more El dirty, left from the 30’s,
Residents haughty, in the year, ‘40
1955, it was a very good year
Torn down on Third, how absurd?
El was gone, east side reborn,
Starting to thrive, in ‘55
1970, it was a very good year
Second Avenue subway started,
Digging below, what did we know?
It was heavenly, the year was ’70.
1973, it was a very bad year,
Digging stopped, 20 cent fare swapped,
“Drop dead,” City; it wasn’t pretty
Let it be, the year was ‘73
They were all very bad years,
With high-rise up-zoned pads, egads!
Filling Lex to the gills, no subway frills,
Crushing the soul, taking their toll,
Below mushrooms grew, with riders few,
They were all very bad years
1996, it was a very good year,
RPA revived it, planners high fived it,
We all got our kicks, it was ‘96
2003, it was a very good year,
Put on the books, yet too many cooks,
Now comes the scrum, will we do things dumb?
Phased into four, let out a roar,
The stub-way came first, it could have been worse,
Visionaries aghast, but the plan still lasts,
Nice but naught-y, it was year naught-three.
2017, It is a very good year,
The Subway done, let’s have fun,
Leadership proud, everyone loud,
Lex is relieved, opening achieved,
We’ve done our best, but there is the rest,
125th or bust, the next big thrust,
And farther up north, where revival is sought
The Bronx is the place, maybe the next phase?
Aim for the stars; get them out of their cars,
More transit needs, if City succeeds,
Laughter no tears
It will be very good years.
Photo Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority
