Empire City Subway
Encyclopedia
Empire City Subway is a company in New York City
which is responsible for maintaining underground conduits in Manhattan
and The Bronx
, and the manholes by which those conduits are accessed. The company was formed in 1891 as part of a plan for common utility duct
s to consolidate all utilities underground. Incompatibility among the utilities
limited the range of utilities that could share their ducts, so the company now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon New York Telephone
under a franchise from the city. In addition to Verizon, they provide service to cable television and other telephone companies.
Manholes owned by Empire City Subway can be easily recognized by the abbreviation
ECS (or ECS Co. LIM) cast into the metal covers.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
which is responsible for maintaining underground conduits in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, and the manholes by which those conduits are accessed. The company was formed in 1891 as part of a plan for common utility duct
Common utility duct
A common utility duct, sometimes called a common utility conduit, is any structure – above, on, or below ground – that carries more than two types of public utility lines...
s to consolidate all utilities underground. Incompatibility among the utilities
Public utility
A public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
limited the range of utilities that could share their ducts, so the company now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon New York Telephone
New York Telephone
The New York Telephone Company was organized in 1896, taking over the New York City operations of the American Bell Telephone Company.-Predecessor companies:...
under a franchise from the city. In addition to Verizon, they provide service to cable television and other telephone companies.
Manholes owned by Empire City Subway can be easily recognized by the abbreviation
New York City manhole cover abbreviations
This is a list of manhole cover markings found in New York City.* Bell System* BMT = Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation* BPM = Manhattan Borough Monument* BRT = Brooklyn Rapid Transit* BSBQ = Bureau of Sewers, Borough of Queens...
ECS (or ECS Co. LIM) cast into the metal covers.