The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-28
STREET EXTENSIONS.

STREET EXTENSIONS.
The Necessities of the City-Relief FOR Broad.
wny-Extension of Worth and Church
Streets--The Probable Effect Of These I'm.
prOvements.
Every stranger who comes TO this city and passes
up and down Broadway, below Canal street. for a
day or two, is bewildered How comes 1t, says he,
that nom the Battery to Canal street all the travel
and all the traffic OF the entire city is concentrating
on Broadwayf Why 10 all carriages, all omnibuses,
all vehicles conveying merchandise, take to this one
street, Are there other streets in the lower part
OF the cityS Must walking, riding, busting, trading,
cartlng below Canal street be done on Broadway
and nowhere else2 Is there a law prescribing 1T
Not once but hundreds of times have we heard
strangers inquire who were astonisbed at the i'm.
mense concentration OF traffic on Broadway, won.
derlng whether there were no other streets in the
lower part Of the city to draw Off portion Of it and
relieve the principal thoroughfare. And not only by
strangers, but by people ito the manner born" by
those who have made this city their home for many
years. by those whose capital and fortune Is invested
in the advancement and growth Of New York the
same questions have often been asked; and not only
by them, put those in authorlty-those who tempo
rary held power and controlled the public affairs Of
our great city-the same inquiry has for years
prop0unded, ana they nave, from time to time,
posed various expedients to effect the much desired
| object
| These expedients are well known. There was the
opening OF Canal street to the Bowery, which un-
doubtedly did good deal toward relieving Broad
| way. The cutting through OF u broad avenue from
Chatham square 10 Pearl street, now known as the
| New Bowely; the widening OF Duane street, the
opening of Chambers street to James Slip all these
were SO many werneant efforts to relieve the lower
section or Broadway nom Its Immense c0ncentra-
lion OF travel But since tnese works 81 public I'm
eced and completed the trade Of the city has again
increased IN such ratio that Broadway is still
Qn1 in hnG M rnIn nfVa0n ~ fhA
traffic upon 1t Is perceptble although the streets
opened take good share Of what once PASSED over
broadway, 4: las.s..c -- 80 -
!, IL Was found necessary to seek for additional out
lets, to provide additional roadways for the steadily
increasing traffic The proposed widening and con-
tinuing OF Ann street to the Fulton ferry landing,
| very desirable improvement to relieve both Fulton
street and Broadway OF their crushing accumulation
Of vehicles was dIscoun tenanced, but may yet be
taken in hand on account OF the location Of tue new
Post ONCE building that requiring more convenient
means Of access, especially from the lower and
| cessary TO do something, and, after much higging
ana tribulation, it was determined to open
I WORTH STREET,
| from Baxter street to Chatham square. This work
has far progressed that the street actually open
stray vehicles that find their way to this locality, and
by the carts and trucks owned BY the people In the
| neighborhood Or employed on the work Of tearing
from Mulberry street to Chatham square. Here, be
tween the Two last named limits there are still brick
walls and other parts 81 buildings TO be demolished
| rom Chatham square TO Broadway.
THE VALUE OF THIS IMPROVEMENT.
Tbs cutting through OF worth street from Baxter
TO Cbatham square IL very valuable Improvement
in two respects In the first place, in business
point OF view, II Is o direct connection
Of the wholesale houses on Broadway and
| west OF it with not only the east side, but also
| with Brooklyn Williamsburg and the whole OF Long
Island Between these places 1t Is not only direct
but the shortest connection available. Let any one
look at map OF the city and follow the adloined ex-
plantations and he Will be Of the same opiniOn The
extension OF Worth street Will reach Chatham square
lust about the corner OF Mott street. nearly Opposite
| the Atlantic Savings Bank building Without much
| trouble the several most important ferries can be
| reached from tins point--Catharine ferry through
Catharne street or down Oliver street the williams
! hurry ferry through the New Bowery and New Cham
bers street and In fact all other ferries on the same
| side.
| But in another reepect this Improvement Is
| equally valuable IL cuts through some OF
| the most residential parts morally and phys
| cally OF our cty Ii opens the very hear,
OF the Five Points lets IN DAYLIGHT and pure air and
Will ultimately colnpe the inmates OF this locality "a
| dispense TO make way for business palaces and ID
seek quarters for their low trades else were II will
In fact change the entire physiO0porny of these
Mulberry and Mott streets. This is certainly desra
BILE. IL creates new centre OF trade where hitherto
crime filth ana disease only nad their habitations
But to do this effectually other improvements arr
equally necessary. These narrow lanes and al eys
| called streets only by misnomer should be cut III
entirely by broad thorOughfares Connecting the east
ern retail trade with the OF the wholesale bust
ness on the west. There Is Leonard street II mi
!, were opened through to Chatham square in dircc
, | line, IL would connect Broadway djrectl,
| with Division and Catharne streets and
!. | could IN some manner be arrsngen to abat