Where was the first major subway system developed?

• A. Boston, Massachusetts
• B. New York, New York
• C. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• D. Chicago, Illinois

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding which city first built a practical, widely used underground rapid-transit system. Boston earned that distinction with the Tremont Street Subway, which opened in 1897. It was a full, electric-powered tunnel that moved a significant number of riders under a dense downtown area, proving the underground approach could relieve surface-street congestion and serve as a reliable backbone for a growing city’s transit network. Because Boston’s underground system came into service years before others in major U.S. cities, it’s regarded as the first major subway system developed in the United States (and in North America). New York didn’t open its subway until 1904, and Chicago and Philadelphia followed later with their own underground lines, building on the earlier Boston model. So, the earliest major example is Boston, which set the precedent for how cities would expand rapid transit underground.