Since 1979, the Straphangers Campaign has been the leading voice in the fight for better transit policy in New York City, and while I don’t always agree with their messages and focus, it would be foolish to deny that Gene Russianoff is a highly influential figure in the current field of transit advocates. To honor the work the Straphangers have done over the years and make sure their efforts retain their rightful place in the public history of the city, the New York Public Library has archived the entire Straphangers record.
A whopping 58 boxes of material that span 29.5 linear feet are now available at the NYPL for researchers to scour and the public to inspect. The archive, the Campaign said in a statement, includes 31 years of the following: correspondence with public officials, funders and other transit activists; memos; press releases; published “State of the Subways” and other reports; public hearing transcripts; notes; clippings; flyers, posters and banners; electronic records; an audio recording; and photographs. It’s quite the trove of information.
“The Straphangers Campaign is thrilled to be part of the historical record and very grateful to the New York Public Library for doing such an excellent job with several decades of records,” Russianoff said in a statement. The records will be housed at the Manuscripts and Archives Division and require an advanced appointment for access.