In our Writing for Engineers class last spring, one of the first subjects we discussed was ethics. We learned about the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill, and applied them to real-world engineering projects. The class consensus was that if a project had the potential to harm a significant number of people, even if it was profitable in some other way, it should not be built or implemented.
By choosing to divert a small piece of the Cross Bronx Expressway north, Robert Moses destroyed the vibrant community of East Tremont. Thousands of families were displaced from their homes, and were forced to scatter and find new places to live in more expensive areas of the city. This was clearly unethical. On the flip side, many people, including myself, still benefit from the Cross Bronx Expressway to this day. It’s the route I usually take when I drive into the city from Westchester. How does a person reconcile using something so convenient when lives were ruined to make it possible?
I think that if the Cross Bronx Expressway had gone along the alternate route, instead of through apartment buildings, its effect would have been much less harmful, and it would have been entirely justified. As it stands, I think that building the entire stretch of highway was worth it, and the one mile is a dark and tragic stain on its history.
Sarah Dunford
