Construction Begins and Construction Ends

This chapter details the beginning of the construction of the Second Avenue subway. In October of 1972, Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Mayor John Lindsay presided over the Second Avenue subway's groundbreaking ceremony at Second Avenue and 103rd Street. However, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chair, William Ronan, was dishonest about both the timeline and the funding of the construction. While Ronan raised false expectations about the city's contribution, the governor misled people about the federal government's contribution. By 1973, the financial health of both the MTA and the city had become so dire that not only was the Second Avenue subway's future in jeopardy, but so was Ronan's entire expansion program. Meanwhile, New York City Comptroller Abe Beame was elected New York City's new mayor. After telling David Yunich—Ronan's successor at the MTA—that he planned to reallocate funds that had been designated for the Second Avenue subway, Beame set up a transportation policy committee consisting of his deputy mayors and senior officials. Beame's six-year transit construction program would not include any more funds for the Second Avenue subway.