Who would pay for a railroad that crossed the Hudson?
A regional rail plan reached the state legislatures. Why did the new transit district never exist?
Explore the caseRegional governance timeline
THE HISTORY OF DECISIONS NEW YORK · NEW JERSEY · CONNECTICUT
Follow the decisions that shaped a divided transportation region.
Regional transportation institutions took shape through agreements and disagreements over money, jurisdiction, representation and operating control. This chronology follows those decisions across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, with links to the reporting and records behind them.
Begin with a historical conflict below, or use the complete timeline to trace events by date. The companion newspaper archive preserves the reports themselves. Event dates describe when something happened; publication dates describe when its sources appeared.
THREE PATHS INTO THE RECORD
Start with a consequential question.
Read the history, follow dated turning points, then examine the original evidence.
How did a regional planning commission lose its region?
Why could eleven affirmative votes fail to approve a regional plan—and how did the commission disappear?
Explore the caseWhat did a through train at Penn Station actually prove?
What did the football train demonstrate about coordinating railroads—and what remained untested?
Explore the caseArticles and other sources, arranged by publication date. Undated items appear separately.
27 items
1957
September 5, 1957
Funds Limit Port Authority Operation
Many a commuter leader, watching rail service deteriorate from year to year, has sometimes bitterly asked: “Why can’t the Port of New York Authority take over and give us a workable rapid-transit system? The Port Au…
1958
April 24, 1958
Bi-State Transit Bill Is Signed Despite Mayor's Plea for Study
ALBANY, April 24—Legislation authorizing New York State to participate in the proposed bi-state Metropolitan Transit District was approved today by Governor Harriman. He signed the Republican-sponsored measure despi…
May 5, 1958
October 24, 1958
November 18, 1958
Rockefeller Bids For 3-State Talk
He Will Seek Early Parlay With Meyner And Ribicoff CARACAS, Venezuela, Nov. 17–Nelson A. Rockefeller, Governor-elect of New York, said today that he would seek an early meeting with Gov, Robert B. Meyner of New Jers…
November 25, 1958
Rapid-Transit Query Posed
Trenton – Can the Port of New York Authority, the operator of tunnels, bridges, airports, and other high-priced facilities be made to plan and operate a metropolitan rapid-transit system, too? In a battle of reports…
1959
April 7, 1959
Council Urges Meyner To Prod Port Authority
Despite protestations by the Port of New York Authority that any involvement of the Authority in the New Jersey rail transit crisis “could well lead to the destruction of the Port Authority as a useful agent,” the P…
1960
July 15, 1960
Port Authority Wants To Steer Clear Of Deficit-Ridden Railroads
The iron wheels of a dying railroad locomotive cry out, “Rapid Transit, Rapid Transit, Rapid Transit,” as the old iron horse races down hill in America’s public transportation history. NO. 1 PROBLEM Charging past th…
1963
May 10, 1963
1965
April 26, 1965
April 27, 1965
1967
January 4, 1967
Jetport Study Set; Calverton Use Opposed
New York—The chairman of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority said yesterday that his group will begin a study of jetport sites in the metropolitan area, but at the same time, operators of Suffolk's Ca…
May 20, 1967
The Mass-Transit Master
Three-page Mike Unger profile of William J. Ronan during the formation of the larger metropolitan transportation organization. It covers his work with Rockefeller, management style, regional scale and emphasis on ra…
September 14, 1967
1972
November 16, 1972
What Commuters Can Expect Under PA Plan
The mass transit plan outlined yesterday by Gov. Cahill is designed to provide North Jersey with a unified rail network using current Port of New York and New Jersey facilities as the base for improved service in th…
1973
July 16, 1973
1975
May 7, 1975
1978
November 26, 1978
1990
January 2, 1990
1994
November 2, 1994
Airport Rail Right-of-way Tour Led by RPA
Tri-State Campaign members toured proposed sites of the Port Authority's airport rail project in Jamaica Center and in Woodside, Queens, Monday, Oct. 31. Returning to Regional Plan Assn's office for an afternoon mee…
November 9, 1994
EIS Comments Topic of PA Airport Rail Letter to TSTC
Port Authority Airport Access Director Edward O'Sullivan wrote to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign in response to the October 19 issue of this bulletin, clarifying that it was the Federal Aviation Administratio…
November 30, 1994
Pataki Says Airport Rail Plan Should Be Improved
NY Governor-elect George Pataki proposed extending the Port Authority's planned NYC airport rail access project to Grand Central Terminal and opening the system to a general ridership. The Port Authority plan presen…
December 14, 1994
Molinari Lashes PA over $1 PATH Fare in Face of Verrazano Toll Hike
Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari lashed the Port Authority of NY and NJ and its PATH train service following announcements of a likely 1996 Port Authority bridge and tunnel toll increase last week. Molin…
December 22, 1994
Pataki: Reconsider I-287 HOV, 9A Project
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign wrote on December 14 to NY Governor-elect Pataki, urging him to reconsider the NY State Department of Transportation's plan to add high-occupancy vehicle lanes to the Cross-West…
December 22, 1994
Brezhenoff Resigns from Port Authority
Port Authority Executive Director Stanley Brezenoff announced his resignation, effective February 3. With two new Governors, each with a new approach, they certainly ought to have the opportunity to establish their…
1995
February 9, 1995
1996
February 15, 1996
Remaking The Region: Port Authority, MTA Would Become New Regional Transit Authority
By DOUGLAS FEIDEN The Port Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority should be dismantled to make the city’s giant transportation system leaner and meaner. That’s a cornerstone of a 25-year master plan…
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