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Activists Push to Reopen Historic Brooklyn Tunnel


April 11, 2014 | Andy Cush

Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue Tunnel — touted as the world’s oldest subway tunnel — closed to the public in 1861. In the 1980s, a man named Bob Diamond rediscovered the former LIRR passageway and began giving tours, but in 2010, the FDNY declared it unsafe and barred people from entry.

Since then, Diamond has advocated for the tunnel’s reopening, and now, he’s taking to Kickstarter to fund the printing and distribution of a study he claims could make the centuries-old structure safe again. We’re all for reopening an important piece of New York City history, and kudos to Diamond for his advocacy, but the $5,000 fundraising goal — which aims only to cover printing 100 copies of the 346-page study — seems a little steep.

(Photo: Wikipedia)