abandoned subway exploration

[Earth_First]

spent a few hours checking out the abandoned subway tunnels and erie canal aquaduct system beneath rochester, new york this afternoon.

http://rocwiki.org/Abandoned_Subway

unfortunately local authorities have decided to spend $17 million to fill this landmark in with soil & concrete beginning monday.

so we decided to check it out one last time.

here are the photographs of our urban exploration:

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[endless october]

1. k/r

[lunatica]

2. Great photos!

I've always loved graffiti art

[sharp_stick]

3. Thanks for the pics

I really love the look you gave them

[Earth_First]

4. Thanks!

:hi:

[Wilms]

5. Wonderful. When is your exhibit?

Just sayin'.

[Earth_First]

7. Just a hobby! n/t

[madrchsod]

6. in a thousand years ...

some one may ponder what the paintings represented.....at least you saved their images.

[truedelphi]

8. Wouldn't some of these structures be a skate boarders

Paradise?

[RKP5637]

9. Great!!! Thanks!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

10. What a shame there is no sense of history among those who have the power to destroy this area.

Why in the world spend $17million to fill in this area????? What a waste of taxpayer money....to what benefit?

Is the contractor someone's brother-in-law?

[PinkoDonkey]

11. Thank you!

Thanks for letting us know about this and for sharing the photos. Keep us posted with further urban exploration? Please?

:yourock:

[Earth_First]

12. Will do!

I have a trip to Buffalo, NY planned to check out a few abandoned landmarks. I'll be sure to post them when I get them uploaded.

Thanks!

[TheWraith]

13. They're filling it in? That's a travesty.

They should at least leave it for posterity, if not give it to someone to use it for practical things.

[557188]

14. REUSE IT! My god what a waste!

Why would you fill it up and make it worthless? The thing is there...reinvest in a Mass Transit system with those existing tunnels to create a new system! Seriously...how stupid is this?

Ugh! As someone who believes in urban mass transit this makes me very angry!

[On the Road]

15. Some Interesting Discussion on That Page

but some of the commenters seem to, and there's a link to a newspaper article:

2008-12-10 12:26:59 I've been down in the tunnel for work purposes (investigating parts of the tunnel that are deteriorating) and even though it's dark, dank, decrepit and dirty down there, it speaks to many possibilities, one being a revived light-rail system. Of course, the cost of such a system makes the idea of it being constructed nearly laughable. Rochester doesn't have the population or the money to justify a new light rail system. Maybe if President Obama has his way, we'll be able to do something like that in Rochester... But I doubt it. So in the meantime, I'd leave the tunnel for the bums, graffiti artists, paintball players and fearless citizens. There is no urgent need to fill it in, therefore, use that money elsewhere.. maybe start planning a light rail system? Pshaw right. —BatGuano

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2009-11-28 18:46:42 Yes, the fill is coming this Spring 2010 — at least to the west end of the tunnel. You can read more about it here... http://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/2009/10/rochester_takes_bids_to_fill_subway_tunnel/ —MichaelGovernale

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2009-12-24 12:47:54 Contrary to previous comments, there IS an urgent need to fill in the tunnel. The tunnel is essentially a long bridge carrying Broad Street over the former railroad tracks and that bridge is over 80 years old and collapsing. Broad Street west/north of Main Street already has lane reductions. Unless the tunnel is filled (or costly repairs made) Broad Street will have to be closed entirely.

The notion of re-using the tunnels for transit, while popular, is misguided. The route of the former Rochester Subway was dictated by the early 19th century route of the Erie Canal, which was located where it was for reasons of topography. Topography is a poor organizing principal for a high-capacity transity corridor. It was a mistake to re-use the canal for transit in the 1920s and it would be a mistake to re-re-use the route for transit in the 21st century. —ChrisStone