New York City Board of Transportation
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Owner | City of New York |
| Locale | New York City |
| Transit type | Subways, Elevated railway, Buses, Streetcars, Trolley coaches |
| Headquarters | 250 Hudson Street, Manhattan, New York 385 Flatbush Avenue Extension, Brooklyn, New York 370 Jay Street, Downtown Brooklyn, New York |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | June 1, 1924 |
| Ended operation | June 15, 1953 |
The New York City Board of Transportation or the Board of Transportation of the City of New York (NYCBOT or BOT) was a city transit commission in New York City, consisting of three members appointed by the mayor. It was created in 1924 to control city-owned and operated public transportation service within the New York City Transit System. The agency oversaw the construction and operation of the municipal Independent Subway System (IND), which was constructed shortly after the Board was chartered. The BOT later presided over the major transfers of public transit from private control to municipal control that took place in the 1940s, including the unification of the New York City Subway in 1940. In 1953, the Board was dissolved and replaced by the state-operated New York City Transit Authority, now part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
In 1874, the New York State Legislature based a bill allowing for the creation of a rapid transit commission in New York City, which was formed in 1875. This commission mapped out elevated railway routes that would be built by private companies, but did not plan any underground lines. In 1889, Mayor Hugh J. Grant created a five-member rapid transit board to lay out lines in the city. In 1891, the State Legislature passed the Rapid Transit Act, allowing the government of New York City and all cities with a population of over one million to create a board of "rapid transit railroad commissioners", which would dictate the expansion of rapid transit facilities within the city. The government could issue bonds in order to fund rapid transit for the city. That year, a five-member rapid transit board was created for the city, called the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners. The board received bids for a municipal underground rail line, but no bids were selected. The board was abolished in 1894 by the State Legislature due to its failure to create a subway line. It was replaced by a new board whose members included the Mayor of New York City. That year, the New York City government issued a referendum stating that future rapid transit lines should be municipally operated, as opposed to issuing franchises to private operators. In spite of this, the initial subway lines to be operated in the city − the "first subway" opened in 1904, and the initial portion of the Centre Street Loop to Essex Street opened in 1908 − were privately operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) respectively. The initial 1890s transit board was replaced in 1907 by the state-run New York Public Service Commission (PSC). This agency would oversee the Dual Contracts subway expansion, which led to the construction of new lines for the IRT and BRT.
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