Vanderbilt Cup Races

Rendering of proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge Project about 1939.
Looking north with Governor’s Island in the foreground.

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

Looking north where Hudson River (left) and East River (right) converge at Governor’s Island in NYC’s Upper Bay, about 1939. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are just off the photo on the left.
Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Queens Borough Bridge over Welfare Island (Roosevelt Island) in the distance is partly visible. Woolworth Building, Municipal Building, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Central Park…..
Robert Moses’ proposal to build the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge (diagonal in center) later became the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, constructed in 1945 and completed in 1950.

Happy Holidays to all!

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

This photo was taken in 1939 as part of Robert Moses’ proposal for a bridge to be built from Battery Park to Red Hook, Brooklyn instead of a tunnel. The plane is over the Narrows or entrance to New York harbor and we are looking north. Governors Island with Fort Jay is in the foreground. To the right are the four main East River crossings: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensboro Bridges along with Roosevelt Island. The unusual structure is the proposed circular exit ramp tower from the bridge to Governors Island. (see attached photo) It would have been located between the second and third bridge towers.

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

Art, The 1929 Seth Low was a nephew of the well known Seth Low. He was a stock broker and in early 1929 headed a group of investors that purchased Roosevelt Field and shortly thereafter acquired the adjoining Curtiss Field. My guess was that he didn’t want the Long Island Motor Parkway to close for obvious reasons hence his early attempt to form a group to fight Moses. Don’t recall if this was the only application form at the Vanderbilt Museum.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 2 - The 1929 Proposal to Retrofit the Motor Parkway

Thanks Greg and Al for the additional detail.  Al - is this the application form of which you refer?  Its labeled the Long Island Motor Parkway Association but its dated 1929, the year that the NCCC came into existence.  And it asks the applicant to indicate the number of acres or size of plot owned.  The Chairman is Seth Low, however the only Seth Low I can find is the last mayor of Brooklyn and a former President of Columbia University who died in 1916.  Mrs. Seth Low died in 1929. Seth Low Junior College (attended by Isaac Asimov) was a part of Columbia from 1928 -1936.  Currently there is a Seth Low Intermediate School in Brooklyn.  Could the Motor Parkway advocates have used the name Seth Low as a means to hide their real identity?

I’ve also included the full open letter from Charles P. Stewart to the press and local officials.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 2 - The 1929 Proposal to Retrofit the Motor Parkway

I read the NYDN but don’t remember seeing this article at the time.  Neat to read it now!

From New York Daily News July 30, 2014: The thief, the enthusiast, and the one-of-a-kind “Shorty” Ford Mustang.

We are facing north looking at Governor’s Island, lower Manhattan, and Robert Moses’ proposed Brooklyn Battery Bridge.  This photo was taken in 1939 and featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Jan. 23 1939.  One of Robert Moses’ proposals that were never built.  He touted that the bridge would carry six lanes of traffic instead of the 4 that a tunnel would carry.  Met with fierce opposition and competing with funds already going to the construction of the Mid-town tunnel Moses ended up building the Battery tunnel we now know today instead.  I remember reading an account of this with Moses’ ego obviously taking a blow when he said in sum and substance:  “Nobody can see a tunnel.  My bridge would be something everyone would marvel at.”

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

Not a Fairchild Aerial but an artist’s conception of the proposed Brooklyn Battery bridge which was a Robert Moses/TBTA monstrosity never built because of proximity to the Brooklyn Navy Yard along with the disruption to downtown Manhattan streets/businesses it would have caused.

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

The plane is over Governors Island, looking north towards Manhattan. From bottom to top are the proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge (never built), and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. Year has to be 1939. That’s when Robert Moses proposed construction of a bridge between Brooklyn and the Battery, since it would be cheaper than a tunnel. Despite opposition, Moses appeared to prevail, until he was thwarted by the War Department in Washington.

From Mystery Friday Foto #52 Solved: The 1939 Planned Brooklyn-Battery Bridge

I was surprised to see on this list a Jerome Trepel. I believe he was a cousin of my grandfather’s. My grandfather and all four of his brothers were florists in Brooklyn and Manhattan from late 1800’s to 1960’s. I think Jerome was also a florist out on Long Island.

From Greg O's Garage: The 1930 Motor Parkway license plate/season ticket holders Part I

Art, Well done.  Vanderbilt and the Motor Parkway did not did not join any group that opposed Moses efforts. The blank application forms of the N.C.C.C. are still in the Parkway archives at the Vanderbilt Museum. Moses only agreed to shift the Northern State Parkway r. o. w. south in the vicinity of Glen Cove Road after the N.C.C.C. gave Moses $125, 000.00 for “land purchases”

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 2 - The 1929 Proposal to Retrofit the Motor Parkway

From Greg O.;

Great Post Art!
Not only E.F. Hutton on the seasonal ticket holder list. Paul D Cravath was #164 using the Parkway to trave to his estate ‘Veraton’ in Lattingtown.

http://www.oldlongisland.com/search?q=Veraton

And W.R. Grace had #165 & 166 featured in Part 1

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/do_not_post_greg_os_garage_the_1930_motor_parkway_plate_season_ticket_census

There’s 2 or 3 others I’m seeing as well. Not surprising the NCCC was made up of Parkway regulars.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Velocci Papers Part 2 - The 1929 Proposal to Retrofit the Motor Parkway

Tim, Most drivers are right handed ?

From A first look inside and under the 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III

Ford put the ignition switch on the left until 1964. I have not been able to find out why they moved it to the right…

From A first look inside and under the 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III

Cliff - tough work indeed, and amazing that you were part of the work crew that help take down the Motor Pkwy bridge over LIRR in Williston Park. The other bridge in Mineola that you refer to, was it located over Jericho Tpke carrying the LIRR? It would be interesting to know.

From Demolition of the Williston Park/East Williston LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Andy - your comment/question is 12 yrs old now. You may remembering a concrete overpass which spanned over Commack Rd from the former Edgewood Hospital to another Hospital ( Mason? ) on the west side of Commack Rd. More of a Pedestrian Bridge, don’t think it was wide enough for vehicles. I was curious about it, too. It was demolished when land clearing on the west side.

From Demolition of the Williston Park/East Williston LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Great that you found the site here, Cliff. You’ll always remember that part of your working career. Guess you remember Ron Ridolph filming the demolitions.

From Demolition of the Williston Park/East Williston LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

I knew Bill and Christine Snyder well, great people and true car enthusiasts. Spent some time with them at a car event in Savanna, Georgia ,

From New York Daily News July 30, 2014: The thief, the enthusiast, and the one-of-a-kind “Shorty” Ford Mustang.

I was on the work crew that took down that overpass and the one in Mineola that summer.  Tough work.

From Demolition of the Williston Park/East Williston LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

In the summer of 1984 I got a job working for a demolition company.  There were 8 of us in the crew that summer.  We dismantled the East Williston LIRR overpass as well as the overpass in Mineola.  Tough job.  The company was Big Apple demolition.

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #5: East Williston, Mineola, Bethpage & Old Bethpage