New York City Department of Bridges
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 1, 1898 |
| Dissolved | 1916 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Type | Department |
| Jurisdiction | Government of New York City |
| Status | Defunct |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | New York City Board of Public Improvements |
| Key document | |
The New York City Department of Bridges was a municipal government agency that administered the planning, construction, management, and maintenance of bridges in New York City. The department was created in 1898 with the consolidation of Greater New York, and it operated as one of six co-equal branches of the New York City Board of Public Improvements.[1][2] It was later merged with the Department of Public Works in 1916 to form the Department of Plant & Structures.[3] Its present-day successor is the New York City Department of Transportation.
Prior to the Department's formation, the work of building and managing transportation infrastructure in the Greater New York area was generally overseen by county-level Boards of Supervisors[4] and their associated Highway Commissioners.[5] When the city was consolidated under a singular charter in 1898, responsibility for all bridge crossings (including minor roadway spans in the outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens) was also consolidated–much to the disagreement of existing highway commissioners.[6]
Organization[edit]
Most of the department's workforce included designers and tradesmen in a variety of support roles, including engineers, riggers, and even firemen. One record from 1900 counts the organization's maintenance division alone at about 480 workers, with moveable bridge-tenders comprising the largest individual trade.[7] The department's leadership consisted of a Commissioner of Bridges and a Consulting Engineer. Appointed by the Mayor of New York City, the Commissioner of Bridges was a mayoral cabinet-level position[1]: 46 tasked with administration of the entire department and its divisions. According to the original city charter, the commissioner was also charged with overseeing departmental finances, toll collection, bridge construction and maintenance, and operation of the Brooklyn Bridge trolleys.[1]: 287–288
| Name | Term | Appointed by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John L. Shea[8] | 1898-1901 | Robert A. Van Wyck |
| 2 | Gustav Lindenthal[9] | 1902-1903 | Seth Low |
| 3 | George E. Best[10] | 1904-1905 | George B. McClellan Jr. |
| 4 | James W. Stevenson[11] | 1906-1909 | |
| 5 | Kingsley L. Martin[12] | 1910-1911 | William J. Gaynor |
| 6 | Arthur J. O'Keeffe[13] | 1911-1913 | |
| 7 | F.J.H. Kracke[14] | 1914-1915 | John P. Mitchel |
Notable projects[edit]
During its existence, the Department of Bridges initiated and managed the construction of many significant bridges in New York City:
- Williamsburg Bridge (initially known as the "East River Bridge")
- Manhattan Bridge
- Queensboro Bridge
- Hell Gate Bridge
- Madison Avenue Bridge
- University Heights Bridge
- 145th Street Bridge
- Grand Street Bridge
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Ash, Mark (1897). The Greater New York Charter as Enacted in 1897 (PDF). New York City: Weed-Parsons Printing Company. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Leading Features of the New Charter". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 26, 1896. pp. 1–2. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "NYC Municipal Archives Collections: Bridges/Plant & Structures". New York City Department of Records & Information Services. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Guide to the Board of Supervisors of Kings County collection ARC.049". dlib.nyu.edu. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "Rural Improvements" (PDF). The New York Times. August 4, 1873. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Wants the Small Bridges– Deputy Farrell Regards Them as Parts of Highways". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 7, 1898. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Maintenance Personnel Resources in 1900" (PDF). NYCDOT Bridges & Tunnels Annual Condition Report: 232. 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "The City Appointments" (PDF). The New York Times. January 1, 1898. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Griggs, Jr., Frank. "Great Achievements: Gustav Lindenthal" (PDF). STRUCTURE Magazine (August 2010): 56–57. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "More City Appointees" (PDF). The New York Times. December 25, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Tully to Get Bouck's Job; Brooklyn to Lose Nothing". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 29, 1905. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "Gaynor's Appointments". The Yonkers Statesman. January 3, 1910. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "O'Keeffe Takes Charge as Martin Steps Out". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 7, 1911. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ "The New Bridge Commissioner". The Standard Union. January 2, 1914. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
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