View source for Rochester subway

{{Short description|Light rail rapid transit line Rochester, New York}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox rail
|railroad_name     = Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway (Rochester subway)
|logo_filename     = 
|logo_size         = 
|logo_alt          =
|system_map        = 
|map_caption       = 
|map_size          = 
|map_alt           =
|image             = Rochester NY Broad Street Bridge Subway 2001.jpg
|image_size        = 
|image_caption     = Former subway bed under Broad Street
|image_alt         =
|marks             = RSB
|locale            = [[Rochester, NY|City of Rochester]] and [[Brighton, Monroe County, New York|Brighton, New York]]
|start_year        = {{start date and age|1927|12|01}}<ref name="rocsubway">{{cite news |title=Passenger Runs End on Subway After 29 Years |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22451512/rochester_subway_ends_july_1_1956/ |access-date=August 3, 2018 |work=The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |date=July 1, 1956 |page=5|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{open access}}</ref>
|end_year          = {{end date and age|1956|06|30}}<ref name="rocsubway" />
|predecessor_line  = [[Erie Canal]] 
|successor_line    = [[Interstate 490 (New York)|Interstate 490]]<br />[[Interstate 590]]
|gauge             = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
|old_gauge         = 
|electrification   = 600v DC
|length            = About {{convert|7|mi|0}}
|hq_city           = [[Rochester, New York]]
|website           =
}}
{{Rochester Subway route diagram}}
The '''Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway''' {{reporting mark|RSB}}, more commonly known as the  '''Rochester subway''', was a [[light rail]] rapid transit line in the city of [[Rochester, New York]] that operated from 1927 to 1956. The subway was constructed in the bed of the old Erie Canal, which allowed the route to be [[Grade separation|grade-separated]] for its entire length. {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=In}} of the route through downtown were constructed in a cut-and-cover tunnel that became Broad Street, and the only underground portion of the subway.

The railroad was designed to reduce [[interurban]] traffic on city streets and to facilitate freight interchange between the railroads. The line was operated on a contract basis by [[New York State Railways]] from 1927 to 1938, and by the [[Rochester Transit Corporation]] (RTC) from 1938 until its closure.

The last day of passenger service was June 30, 1956. Portions of the right-of-way were used for expressway construction, while the rest was abandoned and filled in over the years. The largest remaining section is a stretch of tunnel under Broad Street from Exchange Street to the intersection of Court Street and South Avenue.

==History==

=== Construction ===
Planning for the construction of a subway in Rochester began around 1910 as the [[Erie Canal]] was re-routed from downtown Rochester to pass south of the city. The plans were supported by a feasibility study from engineer [[George F. Swain]] and promoted by Mayor [[Hiram Edgerton]] and other civic leaders. In 1918, the new canal route was completed, and in 1919 the abandoned portion of the canal was bought by the city to serve as the route of the subway.<ref name="Lipman">{{Cite journal |last=Lipman |first=Andrew David |date=April 1974 |title=The Rochester Subway: Experiment in Municipal Rapid Transit |url=https://www.libraryweb.org/~rochhist/v36_1974/v36i2.pdf |journal=Rochester History |volume=XXXVI |issue=2}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=1–3}} It was believed the subway would provide several benefits to the city. In addition to providing a cross-town commute to residents in the northwest and southeast of the city, the railroad would double as a belt line connecting the five freight railroads that then ran through Rochester, which were previously disconnected. [[Interurban]] trolleys would also be routed into the subway to reduce traffic congestion on the surface streets.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|page=7}} Construction was approved by the city council on November 22, 1921, and began in May 1922.<ref name="Amberger">{{Cite book |last1=Amberger |first1=Ron |title=Canal Boats, Interurbans & Trolleys |last2=Barrett |first2=Dick |last3=Marling |first3=Greg |publisher=[[National Railway Historical Society]] |year=1985 |isbn=0-9605296-1-6 |location=[[Rochester, New York|Rochester]]}}</ref>{{Rp|page=11}} The project had universal approval from Rochester's newspapers, chamber of commerce, and labor unions.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|page=11}}
[[File:Rochester Subway construction.png|left|thumb|Excavation of the subway bed in 1925]]
In the city center, a tunnel was dug with a new street, Broad Street, located above. Only {{convert|2|mi}} were in the tunnel, with the rest of the route in open cut. The term "subway" did not refer to the tunnel, but to the route being grade-separated and operated as rapid transit. The segment over the [[Genesee River]] utilized the former [[Erie Canal: Second Genesee Aqueduct|Second Genesee Aqueduct]].<ref name="nrhpinv_ny">{{cite web|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=4165|title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Erie Canal: Second Genesee Aqueduct|date=May 1975|access-date=2009-11-01|author=Cornelia E. Brooke|publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]]}}  ''See also:'' {{cite web|url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=4164|title=Accompanying three photos}}</ref> The canal bed was widened and deepened {{Convert|5|ft|m}} in all directions, which required the removal of {{Convert|1000000|cuyd|m3}} of earth and [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]].<ref name="CEGRoch" /> More excavation was required to accommodate the rails than anticipated, causing delays in the construction until 1927. The construction bonds would not be paid off until 1960, after the subway had closed, at a cost of over $19 million to the city.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|page=12}}

=== New York State Railways (1927&ndash;1938) ===
[[File:Rochester subway entrance postcard.jpg|left|thumb|Rochester subway entrance Court Street postcard]]
Operations began on December 1, 1927 under contract with [[New York State Railways]].<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=40}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Metropolitan Railways: Rapid Transit in America |isbn=0-253-34179-5 |last=Middleton |first=William |year=2003 |pages=90 |publisher=Indiana University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=foSEPTUE7NMC&pg=PA90 |access-date=2008-12-08}}</ref> Ten former [[Utica and Mohawk Valley Railway]] 2000-series cars were transferred from the Utica Lines to provide dedicated service in the Rochester subway. Freight service was provided by an electric locomotive purchased from [[General Electric]].<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=90}}

Interurban railways began using the new subway almost immediately, and were later joined by freight railroads. Starting on the first day of operations in 1927, the [[Rochester and Eastern Rapid Railway]] connected at Rowlands and terminated at City Hall station. The [[Rochester and Syracuse Railroad (interurban)|Rochester and Syracuse Railroad]] began using the subway in 1928, using a new connection established just east of Winton Road station. The [[Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo Railroad]] entered from the west side starting in 1928 using a ramp constructed at Lyell Avenue with this railway also terminating at City Hall station.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=|pages=41–44}} These latter two ramps were also used by the [[New York Central Railroad]] for freight traffic. The [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] connected to the subway with a ramp along Broad Street, and the [[Lehigh Valley Railroad]] connected at the Court Street Station.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=89}}

In 1929, a special subway–surface operation began using a ramp at [[Emerson (RIRTR station)|Emerson station]] to connect with the Dewey Avenue line to provide rush-hour service to [[Kodak Park]], a major employer in the city.<ref name="ER17">{{cite journal |last1=Klos |first1=Lloyd |title=Rochester Subway |journal=Electric Railroads |date=1951 |issue=17 |page=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygo9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA2 |access-date=24 July 2024 |publisher=Electric Railroaders' Association. |language=en}}</ref> On June 1, 1929, local service on the Rochester subway was extended from Winton Road to Rowlands loop.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=45}}

In the aftermath of the [[Great Depression]], New York State Railways fell into [[bankruptcy]] along with other railroads that operated interurban lines in the area. By 1931, all of the connecting interurban railways had ceased operation leaving the subway as an east–west line with no rail connections outside the line.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|page=15}} While the company was in receivership, New York State Railways continued to operate the subway on a contract basis with the city of Rochester. Public opinion of the subway turned negative due to low ridership.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|page=15}}

=== Rochester Transit Corp. (1938&ndash;1956) ===
The former Rochester Lines of New York State Railways were reorganized as the [[Rochester Transit Corporation]] on August 2, 1938, and operation of the subway was transferred to the new company. On the same day, the 2000-series cars were replaced with newer and faster 46-series steel cars acquired from the abandoned Utica & Mohawk Valley Railway in 1937.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|pages=47–50}} Harold S. W. MacFarlin, the city commerce commissioner, believed that the subway could be saved by faster and expanded service and promoted plans to extend the subway line.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|pages=48,61}}

During [[World War II]], wartime rationing made the subway popular once again, and annual ridership peaked at over 5 million in 1946 and 1947. Proposals to extend the line were briefly considered in the press, but ridership began declining again in 1948, and the city council made plans to abandon the subway and use its route for a connecting highway to the [[New York State Thruway]] instead.<ref name="Lipman" />{{Rp|pages=18–20}}

In an effort to cut costs, weekday service was reduced and Sunday service was eliminated in 1952.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=76}} The service contract was awarded on a month-to-month basis until the city council voted in 1955 to end all subway service on June 30, 1956.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|pages=83–87}} Freight service was operated by RTC until September 1, 1957, when the remaining rail operations were turned over to the connecting [[New York Central]] (NYC) and [[Baltimore and Ohio]] (B&O) railroads.<ref name="Amberger" />{{Rp|page=94}}

=== Expressways and freight (1956&ndash;1996) ===
The subway bed from Court Street to Winton Road was used for the construction of a portion of the Eastern Expressway ([[Interstate 490 (New York)|I-490]]) in 1959, with the section from Winton Road to Rowlands used for [[Interstate 590|I-590]]. Limited freight service operated by connecting railroads lasted on the western portion of the subway route from Court Street to [[General Motors]] until 1976, when the city of Rochester elected to fill the cut to eliminate maintenance on the numerous bridges. Rail freight deliveries in the subway tunnel continued until 1997, when [[Gannett Newspapers]] moved its printing operations from the [[Gannett Building]] which the subway ran under to the town of [[Greece, New York|Greece]].<ref name="Freile">{{cite news |last1=Freile |first1=Victoria |title=Take a peek inside the stunning, abandoned Rochester subway tunnels |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/in-depth/lifestyle/2021/07/12/rochester-subway-beckons-people-underground-65-years-after-last-train/7540544002/ |access-date=23 January 2024 |work=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=12 July 2021}}</ref>

==Rolling stock==
[[File:Rochester Subway Genesee River aqueduct October 2015.jpg|thumb|The aqueduct in 2015]]

===Revenue equipment===
*L-1 locomotive 1200V [[General Electric]] electric locomotive &ndash; 1928
*L-2 locomotive &ndash; [[Plymouth Locomotive Works]] of [[Plymouth, Ohio]] &ndash; 1937
*46–70* [[Cincinnati Car Company]] SE Interurban Cars 1916 &ndash; all steel cars; acquired 1937
*2000–2018* [[J.G. Brill]] SE Interurban Cars 1902 &ndash; wood cars built as trailers and converted to motors; acquired 1927
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Even numbers only.

===Work fleet===
*014 Single-truck rotary plow
*0105 Jackson & Sharp Line car
*0200 Single-cab motor Differential flat-car
*0205 locomotive &ndash; [[Jewett Car Company]] of [[Newark, Ohio]] &ndash; 1903
*0214 Single-cab flat motor car
*0220 Single-cab Differential dump car
*0330 Differential dump car trailer
*0331 Differential dump car trailer
*0343 Work and tool car
*2002 Flatcar trailer
*2006 Flatcar trailer

==Facilities==
*Main Street Shops (until 1941)
*General Motors Carbarn (built 1941)

==Legacy==

===Salvage and preservation===
In 1976, after the announcement of the fill, the City of Rochester allowed the [[New York Museum of Transportation]] to collect the rail from the portion of the line being filled. The former rail is still in use by the museum. In 2010, when the city decided to fill the portion of the tunnel between Brown and the B&O ramp, the museum was allowed to collect the remaining rail, surviving switches and other railroad fixtures from the tunnel.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Rochester subway car 60 is at the [[Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum]], where it has been undergoing restoration since 2016. Built in 1916 for Utica Railways and moved to Rochester in 1936, it is the only surviving example from the 12-car fleet that served the subway.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fuss |first=Breanna |date=2016-07-30 |title=Restoration Underway For Rochester's Sole Surviving Subway Car |work=Spectrum Local News |url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/news/2016/07/30/rehab-underway-for-sole-surviving-rochester-subway-car-at-rochester-and-genesee-valley-railroad-museum- |access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-06-19 |title=Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum shows off phase one of subway car restoration |work=Rochester First |url=https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/local-news/rochester-genesee-valley-railroad-museum-shows-off-phase-one-of-subway-car-restoration/486460008/ |access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref> Car 60 was set aside for preservation in 1956, and was donated to the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The trolley car was loaned to other organizations and returned to the [[Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum]] in 1998, prior to restoration.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rochester Transit Corp. No. 60 |url=http://www.rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rsb60/ |website=[[Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum]]}}</ref> Locomotive L-2 was rescued from a Rochester scrap yard in the 1970s, and has been set aside for a potential future restoration by the New York Museum of Transportation.<ref>{{cite web |title=NYMT Archive Pictures |url=http://www.nymtmuseum.org/NYMTPict1.php?Reqst=LocomotiveL2.jpg;Gasoline_Locomotive_L2 |website=[[New York Museum of Transportation]] |access-date=6 May 2016}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=February 2023}}

===Future of the tunnel===
[[File:Rochester NY Broad Street Bridge 2002.jpeg|thumb|The Broad Street Bridge in 2002]]
The property of the abandoned subway tunnel belongs to the city of Rochester. In recent decades, city officials have considered several plans to fill or renovate the tunnel. While it remains abandoned, the tunnel has become a refuge for the homeless, a destination for [[Urban exploration|urban explorers]], and a canvas for local [[graffiti]] artists.<ref name="Freile" />

In 2004, Rochester city officials decided to fill the remaining subway tunnel with earth, as maintenance of the tunnel was costing the city {{Currency|1.2 million|USD}} annually. This decision caused public outcry, since residents regard the subway as part of their history.<ref name="CEGRoch">{{cite news |first=Laurie |last=Mercer |url=https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/redirect/9527?story=9527&headline=Rochester%20Ponders%20Future%20of%20Once%20Vibrant%20Subway |title=Rochester Ponders Future of Once Vibrant Subway |publisher=Construction Equipment Guide |date=30 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622164343/https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/redirect/9527?story=9527&headline=Rochester%20Ponders%20Future%20of%20Once%20Vibrant%20Subway |archive-date=22 June 2021 |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref> The Subway-Erie Canal Revitalization Group was formed in opposition to the city's plans, and advocated for constructing a new trolley line in the city using the tunnel.<ref name="Lowell">{{cite news |last1=Lowell |first1=Bud |title=Share Rochester Wants to Fill Part of Erie Canal Bed |url=http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wxxi/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1297310&sectionID=1 |access-date=25 January 2024 |work=WXXI |date=11 June 2008}}</ref>

Other proposals were made for repurposing the tunnel instead of filling it in, such as removing Broad Street and restoring the old canal or constructing an underground retail center.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Brian |last2=Orr |first2=Steve |title=Visions of retail in downtown aqueduct |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/12/14/retail-broad-street-squeduct/20413283/ |access-date=25 January 2024 |work=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=14 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/10/03/inside-erie-canal-aqueduct/73163610/|title=Visitors go below to see unused tunnel|last=McDermott|first=Meaghan M.|date=October 3, 2015|website=[[Democrat and Chronicle]]|language=en|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807004816/https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/10/03/inside-erie-canal-aqueduct/73163610/|url-status=live}}</ref> One includes converting the Broad Street bridge tunnel—the former canal aqueduct—into an enhanced pedestrian corridor, which would also include a Rochester Transportation Museum, and a tram system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tylin.com/en/projects/historic_erie_canal_aqueductbroad_street_corridor|title=T.Y. Lin International Group {{!}} Projects {{!}} Historic Erie Canal Aqueduct/Broad Street Corridor|website=T.Y. Lin International Group|access-date=March 5, 2020|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922210041/https://www.tylin.com/en/projects/historic_erie_canal_aqueductbroad_street_corridor|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2008, the city decided to fill in the western end off the tunnel under Broad Street. Construction took place in 2010 at a cost of {{Currency|17.5 million|USD}}. The city rebuilt the former [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad|B&O]] ramp into what remains of the subway, making that ramp the western access point into the subway.<ref name="Lowell" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Brian |title=West Broad Street work proceeds silently below |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100708/NEWS01/7080344/1003 |access-date=25 January 2024 |work=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=8 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921051541/https://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100708/NEWS01/7080344/1003 |archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref>

In 2009, The city released a proposal for the remaining section of the tunnel under Broad Street. The plan involved removing the street surface and refilling the canal bed with water.<ref>{{cite web |title=HISTORIC ERIE CANAL AQUEDUCT & BROAD STREET CORRIDOR |url=https://www.roctheaqueduct.com/_files/ugd/86b242_eafe0ed354c44faf880200d335683a2e.pdf |website=roctheaqueduct.com |access-date=10 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109081035/https://www.roctheaqueduct.com/_files/ugd/86b242_eafe0ed354c44faf880200d335683a2e.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2023}}</ref> It was endorsed by the Canal Society of New York<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Brian |title=Sides weigh in on plans for Broad St. aqueduct |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-dc04apr2010p2/40329904/ |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |date=4 April 2010}}</ref> and remained under consideration through 2011,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fanelli |first1=Gino |title=City of Rochester seeks public input on Broad St. aqueduct plans |url=https://www.roccitymag.com/news-opinion/city-to-seek-public-input-on-plans-for-broad-st-aqueduct-14496232 |access-date=10 February 2024 |work=City Magazine}}</ref> although it did not attract the necessary funds.

In 2018, a plan dubbed ''ROC the Riverway'' was unveiled that proposes removing the Broad Street level of the aqueduct and partially re-flooding the former canal and subway bed on the aqueduct with water similar to what was done with the historic canals at [[Canalside]] in [[Buffalo, NY]] and incorporate walkways to connect the nearby [[Blue Cross Arena]] with the nearby convention center.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/picture-gallery/news/2018/01/03/roc-the-riverway/109133050/|title=ROC the Riverway|work=Rochester Democrat and Chronicle|access-date=2018-04-02|language=en}}</ref> The project moved to the planning and construction phase in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=WHAM |date=2022-04-12 |title="Aqueduct Reimagined" project underway in downtown Rochester |url=https://13wham.com/news/local/aqueduct-reimagined-project-underway-in-downtown-rochester |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=WHAM |language=en}}</ref> Also in 2018, the city solicited bids to turn a remaining segment of tunnel between Main Street and Exchange Street into underground parking. There were no interested buyers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/06/29/city-eyes-parking-rochesters-old-subway-tunnel/745517002/|title=City eyes parking in Rochester's old subway tunnel|work=Rochester Democrat and Chronicle|access-date=2018-06-30|language=en}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Rochester Subway Court St. station.JPG|Court Street station, 2007
File:Court Street Station 2013.jpg|View of the Court Street station, 2013
File:Rochester Subway east end filled in, graffiti covered with mud 04.jpg|East end being filled in, January 2017
File:The Nathaniel.jpg|mixed-use commercial and luxury residential low-rise erected on the site, July 2018
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Cincinnati Subway]]
* [[Detroit-Superior underground subway]] in [[Cleveland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |last=Gordon |first=William Reed |title=Ninety Four Years of Rochester Railways: Volume Two |year=1975 |publisher=William Reed Gordon |location=Rochester, NY |pages=|isbn=9780910662123}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Rochester Subway}}
*[http://animatusstudio.com/subway/ "The End of the Line" &ndash; a documentary about the Rochester Subway].
*[http://rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rsb60/index.htm Car 60 at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum]
*[https://rocwiki.org/Abandoned_Subway RocWiki: Abandoned Subway]

{{New York State Railways}}
{{City of Rochester, NY}}

[[Category:Rochester Subway]]
[[Category:Defunct New York (state) railroads]]
[[Category:Transportation in Rochester, New York]]
[[Category:Light rail in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Defunct public transport operators in the United States]]
[[Category:Underground rapid transit in the United States]]