In December 1927, the new trolley subway system for the city of Rochester opened to the public in an attempt to relieve automobile traffic, soon after the Erie canal ceased operations in 1919. It served as an interchange for the handful of rail lines entering the city, as well as for city transportation.

Throughout it's years of operation, the Rochester subway was never used to it's full potential; after vagrants started inhabiting the tunnels and lack of funding, the subway became closed to passengers in 1956. The newspapers have been using the space until 1997, and the many overpasses and other structures along the line have been demolished. The remaining section of the subway is a two mile tunnel underneath Broad Street, where the remains of two stations still exist; West Main Street and City Hall. Some of the actual rails have been salvaged by preservationist groups.

Recent plans are to spend $12 million to fill the space with dirt because the columns and road deck are in need of repair. Read the whole story here. Also check out End of the Line, a DVD all about the Rochester Subway System.