Engineering and public works In 1934, Binger joined the administration of
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as Deputy City Commissioner of
Sanitation. From 1938 to 1945, he worked as Commissioner of Borough Works for Manhattan. In this role he directed the construction of the
Harlem River Drive and the
East River Drive. Binger served as chairman of the National Engineering Advisory Committee during
World War II. He did consulting work on civil defense for the British government and on public works systems for Iran. Their report highlighted the extent to which the bridge would have obstructed views on both sides of the
East River and proved Moses's initial cost projections to be vastly underestimated. Although the bridge proposal was later approved by the
New York City Council, it was never built, and the
Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel now serves its intended purpose. Binger defended it as "almost surely the most functional large building in the world" and was backed by the
Museum of Modern Art, which selected the Municipal Asphalt Plant as one of the 47 best buildings constructed in the U.S. between 1932 and 1944. The iconic arched building, which is no longer in use for city works, is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
Writing and philanthropy Binger wrote books about engineering, including
What Engineers Do: An Outline of Construction (1928) and
What Engineers Do: Engineering for Everyman (1938). He also wrote about a favorite pastime,
fox hunting, in his book
Irish Fox Hunt. After retiring from engineering, he served as the president for the Jacob and Valeria Langelogh Foundation, an organization advocating for better elder care in nursing facilities. == Personal life ==