![A local photographer has begun capturing the abandoned Rochester subway for viewing on Google Street View. [PHOTO: Mark Goho]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-virtual-tour-01.jpg)
Okay urban explorers and subway fans, lay down some newspaper and get ready to have your minds blown. A local photographer, Mark Goho, has made it his mission to capture 360º panoramas of Rochester parks 
to share with the world on Google Views. Mark’s latest project took him deep underground and, with a few clicks of a camera and mouse, he has given the general public unfettered access into the abandoned Rochester subway…
Posts Tagged ‘Broad Street’...
Amazing! Virtual Tour of Rochester Subway on Google Street View
Friday, November 7th, 2014Tags: abandoned places, abandoned subway, Broad Street, Google, Graffiti, Mark Goho, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester panorama, rochester photos, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway photos, Rochester Subway tunnel, street art, subway tunnel, urban exploration
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 14 Comments »
1920’s Photo of Rochester Subway Construction
Friday, December 6th, 2013![Rochester Subway, Broad Street tunnel construction. c.1925. [IMAGE: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-broad-street-construction-01.jpg)
Today’s Fun Foto Friday is this 1920’s view of the Erie Canal aqueduct looking east. You’re looking at the covering over the old canal which would soon become Broad Street and the Rochester Subway beneath. In the background (center) is the Osburn House hotel. Eventually Broad Street would be extended eastward, right through that hotel. The stairwell to the City Hall subway station can be seen at the street corner. And next to the stairs, notice the construction site…
Tags: Broad Street, Exchange Boulevard, Exchange Street, Fun Foto Friday, Genesee Valley Trust, history of Rochester, James Field Company, Osburn House, Rochester history, Rochester Subway, Times Square Building
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
What Is This Strange Water Feature?
Friday, September 27th, 2013![I have seen these concrete triangles in the river before. But I had never noticed the spring water bubbling up. What is this strange water feature? [PHOTO: Michael Krauklis]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-river-triangle-rochester.jpg)
Last week a reader, Michael Krauklis, sent me this picture and asked two perplexing questions. Michael said, “I’ve worked downtown just next to the Broad Street bridge for 11 years now, and the entire time there has been a strange feature in the river just south of the bridge . Upon first glance it appears to be a spring, in the middle of the river, but with further inspection one can see the carcass of an old abandoned structure surrounding it… What was the original purpose of this and where is the water is coming from?”
I have seen these strange concrete triangles in the river myself, and I know there are more than one of them. But I had never noticed the spring water bubbling up! In either case, I had no good answer for Michael. So, I started digging. Here’s what I found out…
Tags: artesian spring, artesian well, Bill Chaisson, Broad Street, cofferdam, Court Street dam, downtown Rochester, Genesee River, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Pat Welch, Rochester, Rochester NY, Tom Hack
Posted in Rochester History, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration, Video | 21 Comments »
Rochester’s (inspiring) Old Railroad Stations
Saturday, November 6th, 2010
Lots of news has been brewing lately over the future of Rochester’s beat-up, 32-year-old Amtrak station on Central Avenue. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter recently announced that a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant has been awarded to New York state to plan for a new multi-modal station on the site. A $2.5 million appropriation to pay for the station design is expected to pass Congress next month. And Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo has just made it abundantly clear
So for now, let’s just assume that something very interesting is in the works for our pitiful excuse for a train station. This is the perfect time to take a step back in time—to be inspired by Rochester’s grand old stations…
Tags: Auburn Railroad Shed, Bragdon Station, Broad Street, Buffalo Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad, Claude Bragdon, Clinton Avenue, Court Street, Erie Railroad, Eugene Sintzenich, Exchange Street, High Falls, history of Rochester, Lehigh Valley Railroad, Main Street, New York, New York Central Railroad, old photos, old photos of Rochester, railroad, railroad station, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Saint Paul Street, vintage postcard, vintage views
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Train/Railroad Stuff | 20 Comments »
River Romance and the Subway. Saturday 10/9
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010![The Canal Society of New York State will be hosting tours of the Broad Street Aqueduct and subway tunnel this weekend. [PHOTO: Dag Lindquist]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-dag-lindquist.jpg)
Two weeks ago the World Canals Conference took Rochester by storm and offered the public a glimpse inside the Broad Street Aqueduct Bridge and abandoned subway tunnel. Thousands attended and many tour-goers shared their great photos on our Facebook page . Did you miss all the fun? Well I’ve got good news for you. This Saturday, October 9th, you’ll have another chance to explore Rochester’s historic underbelly…
Tags: aqueduct, Broad Street, Erie Canal Aqueduct, Facebook, Genesee Aqueduct, photo, River Romance, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, subway tour, World Canal Conference
Posted in Events, Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Urban Exploration | 1 Comment »
Two Upcoming Subway Tours… and a Dinner Party??
Sunday, August 8th, 2010
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunities don’t come along very often—that’s why they’re referred to as such. So clear your calendar, put the dog out, and grab your coat and hat… preferably a hard-hat.
After our subway excursion was squashed last Spring, many of our readers feared that they had missed their last chance to see the inside of the Rochester subway tunnel with their own eyes (and smell it with their own quivering noses). But this Summer the stars have aligned. Here come not one, not two, but THREE rare opportunities to go inside Rochester’s seldom seen subway… legally!
Oh, and did I mention, a lucky few* will get to enjoy cocktails and a catered dinner party INSIDE the tunnel? Yummy! Okay, here we go… these may be your final chances to experience the Rochester subway tunnel…
Tags: Anderson Alley, BBoy BBQ, Broad Street, Clifford Street, Dinner in the Ditch, Erie Canal, Erie Canal Aqueduct, FUA, Genesee Aqueduct, Graffiti, Graffiti Convention, Legal Wall, New York, Rick Rivers, Rochester, Rochester Canal District Plan, Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), Rochester NY, Rochester's Historic Canal District, South Avenue, St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center, subway tour, The Rivers Organization, World Canal Conference
Posted in Events, Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Urban Exploration | 2 Comments »
‘Google Transit’ Tames Rochester’s Baffling Bus Schedules
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
If we’re being 100% honest with each other I have to tell you I used to pee myself with fear at the thought of having to ride Rochester’s bus system. Not because the buses are dirty—they’re actually some of the cleanest buses I’ve ever been in. And no, I’m not afraid of the “people” who ride the bus—some my best friends
Traveling to and from downtown wasn’t the problem. All I had to do was find a bus stop and hop on—it’s a straight shot. But if I had to get anywhere involving a transfer (which, in Rochester, is pretty much everywhere) then I was lost. How in the world would I know which bus to transfer to once I got downtown? And how long would I have to wait? Would it be quicker to walk? How do I know if this is the most direct route? How much time do I have to leave myself to catch the 7 o’clock show at the Little? AAAAAAH! Forget it! I’ll drive.
Not so fast… There’s an app for that…
Tags: Broad Street, bus, Exchange Street, Fairport, Google, Google Transit, Google Transit Layer, Irondequoit, London Tube, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, public transportation, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, Tunisia
Posted in Transit + Infrastructure | 5 Comments »
RochesterSubway.com Quoted In Today’s Democrat & Chronicle
Sunday, April 4th, 2010
Today’s Easter Sunday edition of the Democrat and Chronicle featured fairly extensive coverage of the Broad Street Improvement Project and future plans for the subway tunnel. Three articles and a short video dominated the print and online versions of the Local section and gave RochesterSubway.com and ReconnectRochester.org some much appreciated press. The story below is from the D&C and includes comments from myself (Mike Governale of RochesterSubway.com) and Tom Grasso, who’s canal rewatering plan will likely wash away any chance of ever using the old subway tunnel as a rail corridor again…
(more…)
Tags: abandoned subway tunnel, Brian Sharp, Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, Democrat & Chronicle, Democrat and Chronicle, New York, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, subway, Tom Grasso
Posted in Rochester News, Rochester Subway | No Comments »
Harry Davis asks Rochester City Council to Give Up Their Cars
Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
Some of you may remember our story on Harry Davis last September. At that time Harry was running a long-shot campaign for Rochester City Council. He didn’t win any of the 5 open council seats. But that didn’t discourage him. He turned right around and announced he’d be write-in candidate for Mayor in November. Mayor Duffy squashed that dream pretty easily on election day. But Harry kept at it. He promptly asked to be hired by Mayor Duffy to lead a “green” urban renewal plan for the city. The Mayor turned him down.
So now Mr. Davis is coming at things from a different angle. Last month he formed his own Political Action Committee (PAC). According to Mr. Davis this new group stands for “green, sustainable development and transportation.” Davis affirms, “The importance of sustainable and efficient transportation for Rochester cannot be overstated. This would include light rail, high-speed rail, bike paths and additional pedestrian options – all of which should complement a rational and minimalist approach to automotive traffic.”
Tags: Bonnie Cannan, Broad Street, Center for Disability Rights, Equal Grounds Coffee House, green development, Harry Davis, Jackie Ortiz, Matt Haag, Mayor Duffy, New York, public action committee, Rochester, Rochester City Council, Rochester City Hall, Rochester NY, South Avenue, sustainability, transportation, urban planning
Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 3 Comments »
Reader Opinion Regarding Broad St.
Friday, December 18th, 2009I recently invited my readers to attend a public meeting held by the City of Rochester and to make their voices heard. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the public about the Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project which is slated to begin this Spring. The meeting was tonight and turnout was fair—not great, but I did get to meet a few RochesterSubway.com followers which was very encouraging!
Anyway, I wanted to share one opinion we got from a subscriber, Tim L., in response to our meeting announcement in which I pissed and moaned that the city failed to consider rail transit options for Broad Street. I don’t disagree with all of what Tim has to say, but I do want to hear more of your opinions on this, which is why I’m posting it here…
Tags: Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, canal project, City of Rochester, Erie Canal, New York, rail transit, Rochester, Rochester NY, San Antonio Riverwalk
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 12 Comments »
1906 Panorama and More Old Photos of Rochester, NY
Sunday, November 29th, 2009
Recently we acquired this postcard (shown above) of the Rochester subway entrance at Court Street. And while I was reading up on the history of Rochester and the Erie Canal, I came across some pretty neat photos of downtown, the old canal, and later the construction of the Rochester Subway. These images say a thousand words so I’ll just start the slide show with this incredible panorama of Rochester from 1906…
Tags: Blue Cross Arena, Broad Street, City of Rochester, Cluet-Peabody & Company, Court Street, Democrat & Chronicle, Dinosaur Bar B Que, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, Erie Canal Aqueduct, Exchange Street, Genesee Aqueduct, Genesee River, history of Rochester, Main Street, New York, NY, old photos, photo, photography, Rochester, Rochester Business Institute, Rochester City Hall, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester panorama, Rochester Public Library, Rochester Subway, South Avenue, Statue of Mercury, Times Square Building, trolley, vintage postcard, vintage views
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway | 6 Comments »
Subway Tunnel To Be Filled. This time they mean it. Probably.
Saturday, October 10th, 2009
For decades it’s been an inconvenient truth for Rochester. The abandoned Erie Canal turned ghost subway tunnel has long been considered a ticking time-bomb. It’s widely known that the city has wanted to fill at least the west end of the tunnel for many years, citing critical safety deficiencies in the structure beneath the street surface. But, with Rochester’s ongoing economic struggles and estimates into the $10’s of millions, the project has been repeatedly delayed (or swept under the rug). Until now…
Tags: abandoned subway, ADROC, Advocates for the Development of Rochester's Canal, Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, Brown Street, Chill-the-Fill, City of Rochester, Denver, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, federal stimulus money, Main Street, New York, Nick Tahou's, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Rochester Subway, Roger Brown, RRCDC, RRTC, satellite image, subway tunnel, Tom Grasso, Tom Hack, trolley
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Rochester Subway | 30 Comments »
Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Interview with Tom Hack, P.E., Project Manager
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: It was recently brought to our attention that the City of Rochester is taking bids from contractors to repair and/or fill the abandoned subway tunnel under Broad Street. Can you confirm this? If so, what are the details of the job?
Tom Hack: The fill is going to take place from Brown Street to the RR portal next to Nick Tahoe’s (it involves about 1900 lf out of 4600 lf total). We are maintaining the RR portal behind Nick Tahoe’s as that will serve as a new access/maintenance road into the remaining sections of the tunnel.
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: When are you hoping to start the work?
Tom Hack: We are scheduled to open bids on October 19, 2009. We hope to have “actual” construction operations underway in early December 2009, however the bulk of the tasks won’t hit their stride until April-May 2010.
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: What range do you expect the bids to come in at? (in $$)
Tom Hack: We anticipate that bids for the work will be in the range of $14-16 Million (+/-).
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: Is this project part of a larger initiative? i.e. Is this just Phase 1 in filling the rest of the tunnel, or maybe prep work for some larger project involving Broad Street?
Tom Hack: This project is a standalone project but obviously it does has ramifications toward other city proposed initiatives. Four issues that come into play are:
- Parking within the confines of the remaining rehabilitated sections of the Tunnel
- Phase III and IV of Rochester’s Historic Canal District Initiative does envision partial use of this space for the creation of the West end Basin, however the timing of this phase is 15-20 years out and obviously the dynamics and market conditions may dictate other uses.
- Stabilization and general enhancement of the corridor. This project does strengthen, link and unify the visual attributes of the surrounding land uses and neighborhoods. This is an overall initiative of the City and indirectly the streetscape amenities that we will be installing does add value in that regard.
- The project does advance the Rochester Heritage Trail. The Rochester Heritage trail is a designated walkway linking the City’s multitude of historic feature, dating when downtown was a port on the Erie Canal and the burgeoning center of commerce, industry and social activism. This is a self guided walk that identifies historic sites and tells the stories of Rochester’s people, places, and cultures as they impacted development of our nation. (Think Boston’s Freedom Trial)
Tags: abandoned subway, Boston's Freedom Trail, Broad Street, Brown Street, City of Rochester, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, fill, interview, New York, Nick Tahoe's, Rochester, Rochester Heritage Trail, Rochester NY, Rochester's Historic Canal District, subway tunnel
Posted in Interviews, Rochester Subway | No Comments »
Subway Confessions: Simply Good Times
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
Remember the movie ?
Take it away Russ…
Tags: Broad Street, Brown Street, Charles Street, Court Street, Jay Street, memory, Nick Tahoe's, Rochester Subway tunnel, Scio Street, South Avenue, story, ticket booth
Posted in Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway Stories | 1 Comment »
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