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.
171 items
1952
August 2, 1952
Transit Commission Named By Driscoll
TRENTON, Aug. 1—The membership of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission was appointed today by Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll before his departure on a Maine vacation. State Senator David Van Alstyne, Republican of Eng…
1953
August 12, 1953
State Transit Unit Accused Of Inertia
The Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission was sharply criticized yesterday by City Planning Commissioner Goodhue Livingston Jr. for "dragging its feet." Mr. Livingston indicated that the transit agency, set up by th…
August 12, 1953
December 1, 1953
Regional Planning
The hearings held before the New York Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission, with a twin commission from New Jersey sitting in, renewed interest in the desirability of seeing the region's mass transportation needs w…
1954
March 28, 1954
October 19, 1954
December 22, 1954
1955
January 16, 1955
February 21, 1955
Transit: There Is A History
Editor, Bergen Evening Record. Dear Sir: In your section entitled “Voice of the People” of the Saturday edition, February 12, there was a very interesting letter by a Mr. Walter Zullig Jr. of Maywood. In my opinion,…
August 2, 1955
Studying Rapid Transit
Governor Meyner's announcement that he will approve a $150,000 appropriation for the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission apparently clears the way at last for the completion of a well-financed study of New York-Ne…
August 4, 1955
August 15, 1955
August 15, 1955
August 15, 1955
August 19, 1955
August 25, 1955
Monmouth County Planning Board
The Monmouth County Planning Board has announced that it has adopted a resolution on the recommendation of their railroad transportation advisory committee, headed by Irving Feist of Shrewsbury, urging the newly-cre…
November 2, 1955
1956
March 3, 1956
April 16, 1956
July 9, 1956
October 10, 1956
Narrowing Down The Transit Question
Neither the proposal for a regional transportation authority nor the proposal for community-supported rapid transit is new. Indeed, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commissio…
October 10, 1956
Rapid Transit Costs Cut, Real Estate Board Told
Jersey City, Oct. 10 – Towns and cities of the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area will have to pay part of the bill for a new rapid-transit system, but they may find that the bill will be far less than they expec…
1957
May 23, 1957
June 4, 1957
Rapid Transit Loop Expensive But Officials Say It’s Needed
Teaneck - It looks expensive, but we really need it. This was just about the sentiment of 100 County leaders and other interested persons as they listened intently at the Town House to an outline of the proposed rap…
June 28, 1957
August 20, 1957
September 4, 1957
Q. And A. On Transit, The Orphan Of Growth
The man in the photograph looks impatient. Why shouldn’t he? People in Northeast New Jersey have been waiting for rapid transit – speedy mass trail transportation in modern coaches from community to community and di…
September 4, 1957
Rapid Transit: Groups Didn’t Overlook This
Rapid Transit: Groups Didn’t Overlook This The Public Just Forgot In Excitement Over New Highways The Record September 4, 1957 Thousands Spent Rapid transit has been called the forgotten plan of the New York City ar…
September 5, 1957
Geography Also Stands In Transit Riders’ Way
To Jersey commuters who must beg entry every day, Manhattan may often seem to be a citadel with a moat and too few drawbridges. The Dead End True, the Hudson River is spanned at the north end of New York by the Geor…
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…
September 5, 1957
Rapid Transit Loop Opposed By Merchants
Jersey City, NJ – The Jersey City Merchants Council today claimed that the Page plan for a rapid transit loop into New York is a threat to the entire business community of Jersey City. A Council transit study commit…
September 16, 1957
September 16, 1957
September 19, 1957
September 19, 1957
September 23, 1957
Rapid Transit Plan Assailed
HARRIMAN (AP) — Robert Moses has attacked a proposal for a new bi-state agency to set up a unified rapid transit system between New York City and New Jersey. Moses told the regional conference on metropolitan areas…
October 11, 1957
Symposium To Discuss Transit Plan
A symposium on the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission’s report on the proposed $400,000,000 transit loop will be held at noon Oct. 29 in the grand ballroom of the Sheraton-Astor Hotel, New York. It will be under…
October 30, 1957
Jones Labels Rapid Transit Priority Work
Hackensack – State Senator Walter H. Jones said today a positive and workable program for providing northern New Jersey with a rapid-transit system must be a priority project of the 1958 Legislative session. The Rep…
December 19, 1957
December 23, 1957
Proposed Subway To Jersey Scored
The reaction to a new proposal for a Manhattan-New Jersey subway loop was almost unanimously unfavorable yesterday. The $500,000,000 plan is scheduled to be recommended this week by the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Co…
1958
January 11, 1958
January 29, 1958
The Longest Journey Begins With A Step
Amid the Monday hullabaloo of highly localized political immediacies Senator Jones (R., Bergen) introduced legislation to create a metropolitan transit district. A similar but not identical bill was introduced by ni…
January 31, 1958
February 11, 1958
Rapid Transit Move Stalled by Democrats
Trenton, Feb. 11—Angry Democrats yesterday stalled action for at least a week on a G. O. P. bill which would create a bi-State rapid-transit agency for the North Jersey-Manhattan area. Among other things, the Democr…
March 4, 1958
March 19, 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…
April 24, 1958
Jersey Approval Likely
Special to The New York Times TRENTON, April 24—The general expectation here is that the State Senate will give its approval to the transit district at the present session of the Legislature, which will continue unt…
June 6, 1958
June 6, 1958
June 15, 1958
Jersey Blocking Transit District
TRENTON, June 14–The proposed New York-New Jersey Transit District will not become a reality, at least until 1959, it became evident here tonight. Leaders of the State Legislature seem determined to block approval o…
June 20, 1958
Metropolitan Transport
Position Regional Council Took on Recommended Legislation Outlined The writer of the following letter is Deputy City Administrator, City of New York, and executive secretary, Metropolitan Regional Council. The New Y…
September 10, 1958
September 19, 1958
October 19, 1958
Transit Plan Block Laid To Authority
The Port of New York Authority is the major blockade in the path of the type of rapid transit system that is of vital importance to the metropolitan area and New York City itself. This point was underscored again an…
October 24, 1958
Misleading Information Against Transit Bill
IT should not be necessary to have to say this again, but in a letter to Governor Meyner and the Legislature released today the Metropolitan Rapid Transit Commission carefully emphasizes that: "The transit district…
October 24, 1958
October 24, 1958
October 27, 1958
October 30, 1958
Fares, Finances and Frustration in New York City Transit
* The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect the position of the New York City Administration. To the question: "why live in the City?" Robert M. Haig, former President of the National Tax Associ…
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