History matters, especially as the New York City today faces still another subway crisis.
The New York subway system’s history illustrates the failures of state enterprise. The subways have been bad for so long that few know when the subways were “an engineering marvel.” That was when subway private management companies made money, about a century ago.
Today there’s consensus the red-ink government subways are a nightmare. The state agency operating them has wasted billions, hurting the region’s economy. Riding them is an awful, dangerous experience. But these problems have festered for generations.
“There is no question our subways are in crisis after decades of underinvestment and inaction,” wrote New York City Comptroller Scott Stinger in a 2017 report. He said

Read More »