CHANGE AT JAMAICA: 190 YEARS OF THE LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD

190 years ago on April 24, 1834, New York State officially chartered the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to run from the Brooklyn waterfront 95 miles east to Greenport, Long Island. Despite early challenges and financial troubles, the LIRR spurred explosive population growth in Brooklyn and Queens and significantly shaped the suburbs of Long Island—long before the rise of the automobile. As the first modern electrified commuter service in the US, the LIRR is the nation’s oldest railroad still operating under its original name – and remains the nation’s busiest commuter line. And these well-traveled lines and branches figure prominently into bold new plans for a more livable New York.

Join writer Elizabeth Moore for a look back at the trajectory and untold stories of LIRR’s remarkable 190-year history, the subject of her forthcoming book. The presentation will feature Moore’s ongoing research, as well as new archival materials from the Transit Museum’s collection, digitized with support from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.