Considering how much Robert Moses did for New York, I have personally never heard of his name until last summer. During that time, many of my friends went to Robert Moses State Park, which is a very clean beach (compared to Jones Beach or Long Beach). I thought Robert Moses was probably another politician who did something remarkable for the city. Little did I know, he physically shaped New York in a way no one thought was possible during his time. In fact, he shaped the nation with the highway system and recreational parks. I was shocked at the amount of projects he was able to accomplish and put under his belt.
When I read about all the highways, parkways, bridges, and parks Robert Moses built, my jaw literally dropped. As a native New Yorker, I have been on most of them – the Long Island Expressway, the Van Wyck Expressway, the Clearview Expressway, the Throgs Neck Expressway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the West-Side Highway, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, and so many more. I never knew that he was the brainchild of all of this. I cannot imagine how New York would survive or function without any of these projects. Without a doubt, society would be very different. Robert Moses certainly looked way beyond the future during his time.
Not only did these projects incur a high monetary cost, they also affected a great number of people. Where Robert Moses wanted to construct a park or highway, residents of that area would become displaced. This certainly brought about disputes as to whether or not he was doing the right thing. Nonetheless, I agree with what he did. By displacing these people, he made it possible for these major works to become reality. He did it for the better of society. Displaced residents would be able to have a better quality of life with the availability of these efficient projects.
This reading also reflected a lot about Robert Moses’s personality. He is a go-getter and very ambitious. Going for whatever he wants, he makes sure that nothing gets in his way. An example would be when the newly elected Mayor did not give Moses his position. Moses threatened to resign, which was a method he used in many instances during his life. He certainly came off as an adamant and persistent person in my opinion, certainly in a good way.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this reading because it informed me a great deal about Robert Moses and what he accomplished. Today, we take for granted all these highways and bridges to get from Point A to Point B. This reading certainly made me realize how different life would be if we lacked these things. If I could ask him a few questions, I would ask, “What inspired you to do so much for society and look way into the future?” and “Did your personality bring about a lot of enemies?”.
