Your State's Most Controversial Interstate

[froggie]

Yes. States buy property that is taken under eminent domain, then they also pay relocation expenses. They also assist with relocation options for renters.

Mainly because it was forced upon them by the courts.  There was a time, back when much of the Interstate system was being built, where states did not do this.

Not my understanding.  Paying relocation expenses and assisting with relocation options long predated the Interstate system.

May not have been the case everywhere.

[Rothman]

The Mass Pike Extension was a classic case of abuse of eminent domain.  MA purchased properties for a $1 and kicked residents out.

Also, the Cross-Bronx, where it is claimed the evictors were just a short distance ahead of the bulldozers.

[Beltway]

Yes. States buy property that is taken under eminent domain, then they also pay relocation expenses. They also assist with relocation options for renters.

Mainly because it was forced upon them by the courts.  There was a time, back when much of the Interstate system was being built, where states did not do this.

Not my understanding.  Paying relocation expenses and assisting with relocation options long predated the Interstate system.

May not have been the case everywhere.

Nothing in the world is necessarily universal.  Robert Caro's book about Moses makes a lot of anti-road claims that have been disputed since then, particularly about the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

[Rothman]

Yes. States buy property that is taken under eminent domain, then they also pay relocation expenses. They also assist with relocation options for renters.

Mainly because it was forced upon them by the courts.  There was a time, back when much of the Interstate system was being built, where states did not do this.

Not my understanding.  Paying relocation expenses and assisting with relocation options long predated the Interstate system.

May not have been the case everywhere.

Nothing in the world is necessarily universal.  Robert Caro's book about Moses makes a lot of anti-road claims that have been disputed since then, particularly about the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

[citation needed]

[Beltway]

Yes. States buy property that is taken under eminent domain, then they also pay relocation expenses. They also assist with relocation options for renters.

Mainly because it was forced upon them by the courts.  There was a time, back when much of the Interstate system was being built, where states did not do this.

Not my understanding.  Paying relocation expenses and assisting with relocation options long predated the Interstate system.

May not have been the case everywhere.

Nothing in the world is necessarily universal.  Robert Caro's book about Moses makes a lot of anti-road claims that have been disputed since then, particularly about the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

[citation needed]

What kind of citation?  The book has come under a lot of criticism in various roads forums I have participated in over the last 20 years.

The Wikipedia entry for the Power Broker includes this --

Response from Moses
Moses and his supporters considered the book to be overwhelmingly biased against him, to the point that Moses put out a 23-page typed statement challenging some of its assertions (he claimed he never used the anti-Italian slurs the book attributes to him about Fiorello La Guardia, for instance) and what his supporters saw as a record of unprecedented accomplishment.

Modern re-assessment
In later years, some further criticisms have been made of the book. In the 21st century, as many have decried the inability of American public institutions to construct and maintain infrastructure projects, a more positive view of Moses's career has emerged, in explicit reaction to his portrayal in The Power Broker. This re-evaluation has included museum exhibits and a 2007 book (Robert Moses and the Modern City) described as having a "revisionist theme running throughout".
....

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

[Beltway]

The Mass Pike Extension was a classic case of abuse of eminent domain.  MA purchased properties for a $1 and kicked residents out.

I saw this claim in an anti-roads book years ago, and it didn't make sense.  The Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension was built in the early Interstate era, 1961-1965.  Given that such claims were not made about other Interstates and freeways in the state, it appears to me that some of the opponents to what was a controversial project made up these accusations.

[MASTERNC]

While the current controversy in Pennsylvania is I-95's effect in disconnecting Philadelphia with the Delaware River waterfront, I think the most controversial highway was I-476 (Blue Route) around Philly's western suburbs.  The result is a chronically congested four lane section through a very progressive area (Swarthmore).  Ironically, the pollution there is probably higher with all the slow moving traffic than if there were six lanes the entire length of the Blue Route.

[Beltway]

While the current controversy in Pennsylvania is I-95's effect in disconnecting Philadelphia with the Delaware River waterfront, I think the most controversial highway was I-476 (Blue Route) around Philly's western suburbs.  The result is a chronically congested four lane section through a very progressive area (Swarthmore).  Ironically, the pollution there is probably higher with all the slow moving traffic than if there were six lanes the entire length of the Blue Route.

But still enormously better than having no I-476 and having PA-320 and PA-252 still having to handle all that north-south traffic in the western suburbs.

[Rothman]

The Mass Pike Extension was a classic case of abuse of eminent domain.  MA purchased properties for a $1 and kicked residents out.

I saw this claim in an anti-roads book years ago, and it didn't make sense.  The Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension was built in the early Interstate era, 1961-1965.  Given that such claims were not made about other Interstates and freeways in the state, it appears to me that some of the opponents to what was a controversial project made up these accusations.

My source is Fred Salvucci himself, former Secretary of Transportation of Massachusetts, whose grandmother was evicted to make way for the Extension.  Residents were given $1 at time of eviction; some did receive half of their appraised value later on, though.

[Rothman]

Yes. States buy property that is taken under eminent domain, then they also pay relocation expenses. They also assist with relocation options for renters.

Mainly because it was forced upon them by the courts.  There was a time, back when much of the Interstate system was being built, where states did not do this.

Not my understanding.  Paying relocation expenses and assisting with relocation options long predated the Interstate system.

May not have been the case everywhere.

Nothing in the world is necessarily universal.  Robert Caro's book about Moses makes a lot of anti-road claims that have been disputed since then, particularly about the Cross-Bronx Expressway.

[citation needed]

What kind of citation?  The book has come under a lot of criticism in various roads forums I have participated in over the last 20 years.

The Wikipedia entry for the Power Broker includes this --

Response from Moses
Moses and his supporters considered the book to be overwhelmingly biased against him, to the point that Moses put out a 23-page typed statement challenging some of its assertions (he claimed he never used the anti-Italian slurs the book attributes to him about Fiorello La Guardia, for instance) and what his supporters saw as a record of unprecedented accomplishment.

Modern re-assessment
In later years, some further criticisms have been made of the book. In the 21st century, as many have decried the inability of American public institutions to construct and maintain infrastructure projects, a more positive view of Moses's career has emerged, in explicit reaction to his portrayal in The Power Broker. This re-evaluation has included museum exhibits and a 2007 book (Robert Moses and the Modern City) described as having a "revisionist theme running throughout".
....

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

[Beltway]

The Mass Pike Extension was a classic case of abuse of eminent domain.  MA purchased properties for a $1 and kicked residents out.

I saw this claim in an anti-roads book years ago, and it didn't make sense.  The Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension was built in the early Interstate era, 1961-1965.  Given that such claims were not made about other Interstates and freeways in the state, it appears to me that some of the opponents to what was a controversial project made up these accusations.

My source is Fred Salvucci himself, former Secretary of Transportation of Massachusetts, whose grandmother was evicted to make way for the Extension.  Residents were given $1 at time of eviction; some did receive half of their appraised value later on, though.

That doesn't compute.  Someone in his position would have made sure that a family member got an equitable settlement.  Again, why only this project?  Baalloooohhhney.

[Beltway]

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

Read the book.  There are 21 articles that provide a much different 'history' than Caro's.

[Rothman]

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

Read the book.  There are 21 articles that provide a much different 'history' than Caro's.

Uh-huh...   A paperback book that is essentially out of print?  I suppose I'll check it out, but one wonders why this book has essentially gone the way of the dodo if its arguments were accepted.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+moses+single+minded+genius

[Beltway]

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

Read the book.  There are 21 articles that provide a much different 'history' than Caro's.

Uh-huh...   A paperback book that is essentially out of print? 
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+moses+single+minded+genius

You can buy a copy for $49.99.  I have ordered many books about many topics thru Amazon that are out of print, and that sure as heck doesn't invalidate the history.  That just happens to be the one I got when it was in print.

Another positive book was already cited upthread.  There are bound to be others.

[KEVIN_224]

Connecticut was barely touched on. For controversy, I'd say I-84 which was supposed to run east towards Providence, RI. The Hop River in Tolland County killed off one section in Connecticut. The only portions built were today's I-384 from East Hartford to Bolton and bit of an expressway US Route 6 outside of Willimantic. Rhode Island's Scituate Reservoir killed off their portion of I-84.

[kkt]

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

Read the book.  There are 21 articles that provide a much different 'history' than Caro's.

Uh-huh...   A paperback book that is essentially out of print?  I suppose I'll check it out, but one wonders why this book has essentially gone the way of the dodo if its arguments were accepted.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+moses+single+minded+genius

Books go out of print all the time.  It doesn't mean they're bad, it means they're no longer selling well.

This one is in lots of college libraries, if you don't feel like shelling out $50 for something you'll probably only read once.

[PHLBOS]

While the current controversy in Pennsylvania is I-95's effect in disconnecting Philadelphia with the Delaware River waterfront, I think the most controversial highway was I-476 (Blue Route) around Philly's western suburbs.  The result is a chronically congested four lane section through a very progressive area (Swarthmore).  Ironically, the pollution there is probably higher with all the slow moving traffic than if there were six lanes the entire length of the Blue Route.

The Blue Route portion of I-476 was already mentioned back on Page 1, Reply #12 in this thread. 
I believe that road still holds the title for the most controversial highway in PA that was ever built.

The scaled down portion between PA 3 and MacDade Blvd. that you described was one of the (misguided IMHO) conditions that allowed the road to be built.  Although there room to widen the highway (to six lanes) from the inner shoulders.

[Beltway]

While the current controversy in Pennsylvania is I-95's effect in disconnecting Philadelphia with the Delaware River waterfront, I think the most controversial highway was I-476 (Blue Route) around Philly's western suburbs.  The result is a chronically congested four lane section through a very progressive area (Swarthmore).  Ironically, the pollution there is probably higher with all the slow moving traffic than if there were six lanes the entire length of the Blue Route.

The Blue Route portion of I-476 was already mentioned back on Page 1, Reply #12 in this thread. 
I believe that road still holds the title for the most controversial highway in PA that was ever built.

Probably so, but not far behind is eastern section of I-676 Vine Street Expressway, and I-95 thru Center City is not far behind that.

The scaled down portion between PA 3 and MacDade Blvd. that you described was one of the (misguided IMHO) conditions that allowed the road to be built.  Although there room to widen the highway (to six lanes) from the inner shoulders.

Probably would have been impossible with that, unfortunately..

[cl94]

I have this 210-page book that has a collection of articles that casts Robert Moses in a much more favorable light than Caro's book --
_Robert Moses, Single-Minded Genius_, edited by Joann P. Krieg, Long Island Studies Institute, 1989.

Where is the assertion that Caro's description of the eminent domain process in the case of the Cross Bronx was inaccurate?  That's a far cry from arguing against the idea that he used Italian slurs against the Mayor of New York.

Read the book.  There are 21 articles that provide a much different 'history' than Caro's.

Uh-huh...   A paperback book that is essentially out of print?  I suppose I'll check it out, but one wonders why this book has essentially gone the way of the dodo if its arguments were accepted.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=robert+moses+single+minded+genius

Books go out of print all the time.  It doesn't mean they're bad, it means they're no longer selling well.

This one is in lots of college libraries, if you don't feel like shelling out $50 for something you'll probably only read once.

Caro's account is FAR from the only one saying that Moses was a power-hungry elitist. He is easily one of the most controversial individuals in modern American history. Active engineers and planners in the Northeast generally view his accomplishments as examples of what not to do.

I will also note that my grandmother grew up a few blocks from that section of the Cross Bronx. The Caro version is pretty much what she remembers.

[Beltway]

Caro's account is FAR from the only one saying that Moses was a power-hungry elitist. He is easily one of the most controversial individuals in modern American history. Active engineers and planners in the Northeast generally view his accomplishments as examples of what not to do.

He was responsible for the creation of 38 city and state parks in NYC, LI and north of the city, that exist today.

I will also note that my grandmother grew up a few blocks from that section of the Cross Bronx. The Caro version is pretty much what she remembers.

Here is one of the online critical reviews --

The book is a great blueprint on how to get things done. Unfortunately NYC's infrastructure has declined over the past 50 years and it's doubtful anyone in power has learned from Moses or has his spatial skills. Since the Moses days the government replaced many of the builders, engineers, and transportation professionals with lawyers and public administrators. This disrespect of infrastructure spread elsewhere and may partially explain why our national infrastructure spending has plummeted 60% since the Eisenhower years and 30% over the past several years. As for the author it appears he was initially on a mission to be negative of Moses, but it appears Moses grew on him somewhat. Five stars.

One star for the chapter titled "One Mile" - the stretch of the Cross Bronx traversing East Tremont. The book paints a neighborhood of victims, but makes many mistakes and exclusions of the history and design of this stretch of highway:
1. The chapter painted a picture of everyone was blindsided in the 1950's when the XBronx was built- this isn't true. There is no mention that the plan for the highway predated Moses- it was by the Regional Plan Association, back in the 1920's and formalized in the 1930's. Most of the building stock in East Tremont is of masonry steel buildings and built around this time. The developers knew the score. They knew a highway would eventually come and they decided to build anyways- it was a business decision. They were reimbursed when their buildings were condemned. The tenants were the ones who were angry when displaced, though many of them may have known that it was going to eventually happen, yet decided to move in anyways.
2. The author tried to paint East Tremont as a neighborhood that goes back many, many generations. There are some buildings with stone foundations, but once again it appears the bulk of the building stock was built around the time the RPA first came up with the idea for the highway. Pictures of Yankee Stadium (to the south, closer to Manhattan) show the stadium was surrounded by open fields in 1923 and the Grand Concourse in the background of these photos was a building-less road. Most of the Bronx had just converted over from farms and rural lands at the time the RPA initially planned for the Cross Bronx.
3. The book doesn't mention the highway crosses over a ridge in this area. East Tremont (to the north) and Crotona Park (to the south) sit on the ridge that runs north-south. The tenants led the fight to have the highway rerouted south to the northern edge of Crotona Park. The ridge is higher and wider in Crotona Park and the Bronx River to the east is a 6 to 8% descent from the park. Moses' intent was to minimize the highway descent from the ridge to the river crossing to 3%. The descent from East Tremont to the river is about 4%, which allowed Moses to achieve the 3% with help of cuts and some elevated roadway. The book doesn't mention anything of the terrain nor the reason for choosing the less steep East Tremont path but reports by Columbia and MIT do.
4. The chapter provides a map of the route Moses built and a proposed route designed by a hired gun engineer the East Tremont tenants hired. The engineer's background was work on FDR's Westchester parkway system which is known for being dangerous. It's loaded up with dangerous "S" curves. His proposed plan, to reroute the highway to the northern edge of Crotona Park, also had a dangerous "S" curve (reverse curve). "S" curves are no longer allowed for interstate design and are outlawed in many municipalities' land use laws. None of the Moses critics nor the author picked up on this major flaw, but the Columbia report did.
5. The map also shows the proposed route by the hired gun was to travel right through an existing transit station. The transit station would had to be rebuilt. Once again the critics and the author didn't pick up on this major flaw, although it was the author who provided the map.
6. The MIT and/or Columbia report mentioned there was a study that analyzed the East Tremont Association's hired gun's plan. The study concluded his plan would require as many displaced people as what was eventually built. The book doesn't mention anything about this study.
7. The takeaway from this chapter is that the highway divides East Tremont. It does not. The map provided by the author appears to show only one cross street (Southern Boulevard) was to remain. In reality all of the cross streets remain. And none of them were elevated. Most of this stretch of highway is in a 30 foot deep cut. You don't see much of East Tremont from the highway and very little of East Tremont sees the highway. The cut is only about 90 to 100 feet across, thus you always see pedestrians walking along the cross streets 30 feet above.
8. The author failed to mentioned many of the buildings removed for construction were eventually replaced. The highway has many buildings lining it that were built after the completion of the highway.
9. In 1976 President Jimmy Carter (prior to his presidency) visited Charlotte Street, a few blocks south of East Tremont, and described it as the "worst" neighborhood in America. The neighborhood went downhill quickly from blight that crept up from the South Bronx. It is doubtful the people of East Tremont would have stayed put. The author painted a different picture.
10. The Columbia study mentioned the Cross Bronx has extremely high truck traffic (25% of the traffic). The trucks provide goods to Long Island, Queens, and Brooklyn, but the book doesn't mention this and doesn't mention what the alternative would be to transport goods.

Also one star for not giving the history of the West Side prior to the West Side Highway. When Moses finished the highway (he didn't the start the highway), it replaced many commercial rail lines and warehouses that blocked Manhattan from the river. The rail lines ran the full length of the west side of Manhattan and the rails brought goods into the city. Even overseas goods came in by these West Side rails. The city implemented heavy levies on goods coming in by ship, thus businessmen had goods unloaded on the NJ side of the Hudson, the goods were transported up the Hudson to Albany by rail where they crossed the Hudson and then they came down the east side of the Hudson to the West side of Manhattan. The RPA plan (once again predated Moses) was to replace the rails with a highway. Thus the RPA planned to replace the trains with trucks (via the Lincoln Tunnel). The author didn't explain any of this and didn't explain how goods would be brought into the city otherwise.

Three stars for blaming Moses for today's city's congestion.The city was already clogged with vehicles by the time Moses arrived, which the author did explained. But the book blames the continuing congestion on Moses, for not designing his expressways to allow for mass transit. The author was inconsistent in that he cherry picked the RPA's role. He didn't explained that Moses' expressways were actually the RPA's plan but then the author cited the RPA's much later recommendation for expressway and bridge design to allow for mass transit. RPA's recommendation came after Moses broke ground. Moses' later expressways, out on Staten Island, appear to be adequate to allow for mass transit construction- the author didn't reveal this. Allowing for above ground mass transit requires more land to condemn thus more money and it would have reduced the number of highways that he could have built, but once again it appears Moses did make the effort out on Staten Island. The author also never explained that the existing mass transit was built (about 115 years ago) in very developed, congested areas without the benefit of prior planning allowing for mass transit. Most of these lines in Manhattan and Brooklyn were built in congestion as heavy as today's if not more so.

The author made a big error and a big omission regarding the reason Moses developed parkways solely for cars. Many reviewers believed the author painted Moses as a racist for the reason. But Moses had limited funds and he did the most with these funds. Designing the parkways for cars saved him a lot of money and allowed him to have money to spend on other projects. Roadways for heavy buses cost much more- the pavements have to be much thicker and the roadbeds have to be much deeper, plus the maintenance is much, much higher. Per a government study, a single truck or single bus with typical 18,000 lbs. axle loads causes as much damage to the roads and bridges as 9,600 cars. The author failed to explain the enormous costs for roads and bridges designed for buses and trucks.

The book omitted the RPA's role in the misguided Lower Manhattan and Mid-town Manhattan Expressways plans. The author explained how the idea for the expressways was misguided, which he is completely correct, but he failed to explain it was not Moses' idea, but the RPA's. The RPA prepared a map/plan in 1929 that clearly depicts 4 expressways crossing the width of Manhattan: the Lower Manhattan and Mid-town Expressways, one around 125th Street and the current Trans-Manhattan Expressway. How is it so many Moses' critics can not read a map or plan? Btw, it was lame of the RPA to let Moses take the full blame for their misguided idea.

And lastly he painted a picture of Moses being the reason why mass transit declined. The problem with this theory is that Moses has been out of power for 50 years. The theory doesn't explain why nothing has been done with mass transit since. The city has done virtually nothing to connect the outer boroughs with each other. Most of the subways in the outer boroughs are nothing but spokes that lead into Manhattan. Back in the era of private transit companies, the main demand was for transport into Manhattan, yet transit companies still connected the spokes with a cobweb of trolley lines. For various reasons the trolley lines and many of the elevated train lines connecting the spokes were removed. The lethargic government hasn't made any real effort to reconnect these spokes, even though the demand for travel between the outer boroughs has increased. Thus the highways Moses built are clogged all week and weekend long with local traffic. These boroughs need both expanded highways and subways connecting each other, but the city does nothing and the elitist Moses' critics living in Manhattan couldn't care less.

NYC had the best mass transit system in the world 70 to 110 years ago when it was developed and operated by private industry- the author didn't explain this. The Moses' critic types of the day wanted city control of these subways which they got around 1940. Since then the subways have fallen into mediocrity. The suburban rail lines have a similar history- once again nothing has been done in decades to the system since the government takeover of around 1970. Now that Moses is gone our roadways, bridges, and tunnels have also fallen to 50 years of government neglect. Our tunnels and bridges are routinely backed up for 30 minutes during rush hour, the airports are rated as the worst in the nation, the city highway system is consistently clogged, it is vastly undersized, Penn Station and the bus terminals are dumps, and the subway system is poorly maintained, dirty, noisy, poorly lit, and convoluted. The subway system is extremely confusing for out-of-towners. Private industry and Moses had real transportation professionals running everything. Now we have lawyers and public administrators. Very little ever gets done. Things that do get done cost far more and take far longer to complete than they should. And many mistakes are made with planning and design. As a group they have horrible spatial skills and construction knowledge. They have deflected the blame for today's decrepit transportation system to Moses and they have insulated themselves by brainwashing us that it's Moses' fault.

[Rothman]

So, Moses used all of his power to build according to lousy RPA plans?  Sorry, but most of these criticisms still land at Moses' feet.  Plans are just plans until someone actually follow through with them, and that was Moses.

And, by the way, Caro mostly praises Moses' zeal for parks, although he does mention that the placement of the parks did reek of classism.

[thenetwork]

For Colorado, it's got to be I-70 and in particular the replacing of the old I-70 Viaduct north of downtown.

The last of the major NIMBY roadblocks have been squashed by the courts, AFAIK, and prelim work is being started for rebuilding and widening I-70 through that area and going below-ground level instead of building a new viaduct to replace the existing one.

Now even though the NIMBYs hardly have a leg to stand on anymore, they are still pushing a Ditch The Ditch campaign that is even showing up on Billboards in Western Colorado -- 250 MILES AWAY!!!

http://www.ditchtheditch.com/

Interesting that even though the billboards are new, looking at the site there hasn't been much stuff added in the last 8-9 months.

[Beltway]

So, Moses used all of his power to build according to lousy RPA plans?  Sorry, but most of these criticisms still land at Moses' feet.  Plans are just plans until someone actually follow through with them, and that was Moses.

No, it didn't say that.  It said that the Cross Bronx Expressway alignment long-predated Moses' tenure, and that there were clear engineering reasons why the "One Mile" wasn't relocated, which are clear to me having worked in the design of freeways.  Most of the segments were funded thru the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act, so there was also state and federal involvement in finalizing the design and getting it built, after all it is I-95.

And, by the way, Caro mostly praises Moses' zeal for parks, although he does mention that the placement of the parks did reek of classism.

My book lists 18 parks in Brooklyn and Queens and while I am not super-knowledgeable about NYC, most of them don't appear to be in special areas.

[DandyDan]

I-35 north of Ames, in Iowa, earned some lawsuits prior to construction for the section that angles SW-NE.  Ostensibly, the farmers were PO'd as farm fields to accommodate an Interstate not running mostly N-S or E-W are annoying to farm with all the resultant triangular shaped pieces.  As I recall, the 'real' reason had to do with communities that would have been along the Interstate (and wanted to be along it) if the diagonal bit was much further north, or if the diagonal bit was instead an E-W concurrency with I-90.

The original plan for I-35 was for it to angle SW from Albert Lea to the Iowa border along US 69 before turning back southward, which is also reflected in some of the late 1950s Minnesota state maps. Mason City was the one who largely pushed for I-35 to be routed along US 65 instead in northern Iowa.

Except that it doesn't come within 5 miles of US 65 in Iowa. I would love to see a plan that had I-35 go to the edge of Mason City, if only because I live here.

No one mentioned my old state of Nebraska yet, so I feel l obligated to mention when the North Freeway, which was briefly I-580, was built, it pretty much ruined the neighborhood.

[Rothman]

So, Moses used all of his power to build according to lousy RPA plans?  Sorry, but most of these criticisms still land at Moses' feet.  Plans are just plans until someone actually follow through with them, and that was Moses.

No, it didn't say that.  It said that the Cross Bronx Expressway alignment long-predated Moses' tenure, and that there were clear engineering reasons why the "One Mile" wasn't relocated, which are clear to me having worked in the design of freeways.  Most of the segments were funded thru the 1956 Federal-Aid Highway Act, so there was also state and federal involvement in finalizing the design and getting it built, after all it is I-95.

And, by the way, Caro mostly praises Moses' zeal for parks, although he does mention that the placement of the parks did reek of classism.

My book lists 18 parks in Brooklyn and Queens and while I am not super-knowledgeable about NYC, most of them don't appear to be in special areas.

Yep, original plans predated Moses, but again, just because the plans existed doesn't mean Moses had to construct them and he certainly presented his own proposals in the late '40s.  He was in power in NYC; his influence over the project is simply undebatable.

Is "your book" the paperback you referred me to?  You should actually read The Power Broker.  Caro's sources are quite extensive and thorough, especially when it comes to the number of parks Moses established and where he did.  And, as a native New Yorker, his knowledge of the City is voluminous.