The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-15
RAPID TRANSIT.
THE BOULEVARD ROUTE COMMENDED


TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
As q property holder and resident OF the upper
part OF this city !. with many others, was much
pleased with the letter OF Lawson n. Fuller, pub.
lished some time since In your valuable journal,
on the subject OF rapid transit believing 1t to be
the only salvation from conhscatlon OF our prop
erty In the northern portion OF this island.
Mr.. Fuller says:-"We want no more money
spent for boulevards, parks or public dives until
rapid transit Is an accomplished fact" and In that
remark the major portion OF the owners OF real
estate fully agree, but do not understand that
MIR. Fuller meant that the work on the roads anu
parks. on which assessments have been laid and
collected, should not be accomplished. Mr.. Fuller
goes on and gives the total cost at rising
s3l,OoOoo 900, and asks quite pertnenty, 'Isnt that
enough at present ~ Every taxpayer seems TO
think so when lie sees his tax bills but week or
so ago 49, E. Co." through your columns attacks
Mr.. Fuller and says he mlsrepresents when he
says the works have cost the city so much, and
tuen proceeds TO show that the whole tax Is laid
upon the Taxpayers and Says:-
S
SpOn inc Sy and
Ss'
oa d TIKI . s .ss
Boulevard was Projected were Assessed at an
sSiax revenue to the sity :. y per cent sss %.
ss iss 9IT at p
OF as Of cent = Bay C onR
the original tax revenue OF S9z lo but also The whole
n i sss. f afs ana n
aaS sss @ % e VET aa
upon he city treasury Tor uptown improvements. We
say we ought to hear more OF 1t. That is Just
what urges the owners Of real estate to cry out
for rapid transit aud just what Mr.. Fuller means
when he says, owe want no more money spent for
boulevards, NC, until RAPID transit is an accom-
pllsned act." Just think OF 1t. Before The Boule-
ward Was projected lots were worth 5000. Now
they are worth 5000. Who believes III Are lots
sa,aoe to-day for higher figure than beiorey
ASK any property owner. He VIII laugh at the
figures; but give us rapid transit and lots Will be
double the amount gwen above and cottages and
mansions WI spring up al aong me line as IL oy
see TO rapid transit Is tue route for the road and the
capital requisite Tor building and equlpping. No
company can afford to purchase a route, neither
can they build road as designed by Gluert, even
II the roadway should be granted, ana give us
cheap rapid transit. and rapiu transit must be
cheap to be at all Denehclai to The resident OF the
CITY, Now, 1t appears to me the only plan Is to
donate a route 10 some company, with a charter,
to run the cars at stipulated price, say ten cents
to any distance.
Tue plan Of Mr.. Fuller is certainly very feasible
lrom Fity-nintn street, anu there Is no otner ave.
nue. so well adapted for the enterprise as the
Boulevard. " beng $50 Ieet VIDE and compile ey
hnlshed o l5jth street and ready at once Tor the
surface road, and by the time the superstructure
Is completed the connecting road, whichever Is
adopted, could be finished 10 Fnty-ninth street
from below, and the whole road could be IAN ac-
compllshcd lact' within year, as claim that If
one mile can be Quilt IN six months, five or six
niles can DC QUIT "a the same time by tie addl-
tlOn Oh the necessary capital and labor, ana as the
road Gree OF cost OF land can be built or $500 600
Per mile tile avallable capital Will SOON be forth.
coming u may DC sad That the railroad VIII
spoil the Boulevard for carriage driving, &c. out
SUCH VIII not be the tact. There Is no driving on
the road. with lew exceptions but trucks gro.
Gers and express wagons and such loads as can
not be driven through the PARK. and 1t must ever
remain the same business road oil tue west side.
Almost all private vehicles now r2ss through
cross streets to ST. Nicholas avenue thence uIrect
to and through the Park 10 tue lower portion OF
the city.
With rapid transit fixed fact the Boulevard
VIII soon De quit upon as also the cross streets,
anu much lever parcels Will be sold for afrear-
ages OF taxes tnan have been for some years past.
A Few years ago person could pay three per
got little or 40 rent Tor his premises. bur three
per cent on $4,000 per lot, with Assessments for
grading, cartlng &c. (olten as high as 200 per
lou, ana no accommodation Tor travelling out uy
Stage or morse cars, is put one remove rom
nscatlon. as remarked above, for no person, com.
PEELED TO earn livelihood or do business In tue
clt' can afford to spend two hours, morn and eve,
gong and returning from lapor, even though
ue suouiu 1--WE rent lree; consequently our
boulevard Is Dullt In vain, so far as we OF the
northern end are concerned, unless some plan is
adopted by wnich we can induce persons to reside
among US. Give us rapid transit and that as
speedily as possible.
AS to the railroad being Objectionable 10 the
appearance OF the Boulevard a little engineering
pleasing and attractive adjunct TO the drive; II the
track be Enclosed and covered WIN varioas climb
Ing vines we snail have beautiful hanging gar
den through the length or the Boulevard which
journey to see. Yours. JOHN G. GRAFT.
Washington Heights.