Overlooked Boroughs

New York City’s subway system, built mostly in the first third of the 20th century, was designed to open up the rapidly growing city to residential development beyond lower Manhattan. That was accomplished remarkably well. Collectively, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens added three million people from 1910 to 1940. Today, these subway lines, along with bus, commuter rail and ferries, deliver almost 90% of those traveling to work in Manhattan below 60th Street. Without this transit network, the economic engine and the heart of New York region couldn’t function.

Because the radial subway system is oriented toward Manhattan, it is much less successful in meeting the needs of those not destined for the central business district. Indeed, less than half of the 3.4 million trips made within and between the boroughs are made on transit. In contrast, almost nine in every 10 trips for work made to and from the boroughs to the Manhattan business district are on transit.

A well-functioning transit system is especially important for both low- and average-income New Yorkers, the majority of whom who don’t own a car. Not only does the system put them in reach of millions of jobs, but it enables them to get to schools, hospitals, cultural facilities, parks and services. This helps mitigate New York’s high cost of housing, and it is part of the reason that low income New Yorkers have a better chance of getting ahead than residents of many other U.S. regions.