Development in the area was further spurred by New York City Subway construction, namely the extension of the IRT Broadway – Seventh Avenue Line (today's ), which opened for service in 1918, and the accompanying extension of Seventh Avenue and the widening of Varick Street during subway construction in 1914, both of resulted in better access to the area for vehicles and for subway riders. The area was also served by the IRT Ninth Avenue Line, an elevated train line on Greenwich Street demolished in 1940.