Movement: New York’s Long War To Take Back Its Streets from the Car

This well-researched study of the evolution of public transportation in New York City has the sweep of a historical novel with a fascinating cast of characters: an array of NYC mayors and commissioners, with key supporting roles by New York governors and U.S. presidents. New York Post columnist Gelinas (After the Fall) did extensive research in the archives of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and her book flows from the demise of trolley cars to the defeat of new highways in Manhattan to the pandemic. Robert Moses’s impact on the transportation systems is assessed, as are transit-friendly efforts by Mayors Koch, Giuliani, and Bloomberg. Richard Ravitch, chairman of the MTA and a powerful advocate for mass transit, emerges as a hero. Several chapters serve as case studies on topics such as saving Washington Square Park, defeating the Westway highway, rideshare services, parking, and congestion pricing. The book concludes with the impact of COVID on the city’s transportation network.