Terrorist Threats to the New York Subway System
New York City Subway Map (Massimo Vignelli, 2008)
The New York City Subway system map shown above is an updated version of the iconic 1972 diagram designed by Massimo Vignelli (Goldberger 1). Vignelli's map expresses an "obsessive clarity" that, in the view of The New Yorker journalist Paul Goldberger, "turns out to be the perfect basis for digital information" (1). The largest mass transit system in the world, with 842 miles of track and 468 stations, the New York Subway system is the transportation lifeblood of Manhattan and its surrounding four Burroughs (New York 1). The first underground portion of the New York Subway opened in 1904; part of a mass transit system that today is almost sixty percent underground (New York 1). From Grand Central Terminal to Pennsylvania Station, the subway snakes under all parts of Manhattan and beyond, including its waterways. Teeming with life and vibrancy, as New Yorkers and others rely on the system for transportation, it offers a source of multiple casualties to would-be terrorist organizations.
The New York Subway system is one of a number of domestic targets that have been the focus of both international and domestic terrorist attacks since September 11. In a press release in February of this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press released opened with the following paragraph that mentions a plot against the New York City Subway system:
News headlines from across the country tell us that there are people actively plotting and attempting to harm our citizens. The most serious attempts recently have included an attempt on Times Square, a plot to bomb the New York subway system, and a plot to bomb a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, OR. This threat environment highlights the necessity for our front line and first responders to not only be prepared, but to also be aware of some ...