Public transportation is crucial to the vitality of New York City, growing and evolving to serve the needs of an expanding population. But making way for new transit infrastructure has significantly impacted existing communities over time, both positively and negatively.

New York Transit Museum’s Content Manager, Polly Desjarlais, will discuss the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, now called the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, between 1940-1950. This project provided a convenient link between Manhattan and Brooklyn, but in the process displaced residents of a vibrant international neighborhood in downtown Manhattan, including the historic Little Syria. This talk will trace the origins of the tunnel project to its lasting effects on communities throughout the city.