New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-08
TOLLS on THE BRIDGE.

The New-York and Brooklyn Bridge is
practically completed. Only the finishing
touches now remain 10 be added While the
date of the formal opening has not yet been
fixed. this is a matter of only few weeks at
tie fnrihcst Whatever opinions may be enter
tained as to The wisdom or folly of two cities
like New-York and Brooklyn engaging in a
mutual bridse-huilding enterprise, and of al
lowing the work TO be carried on for years in
such reckless and lavish fashion that the total
expenditures for the great span will excec d
sixteen Millions there can he no doubt that the
bridge should be thrown open to public use at
the earliest practicable moment, and that it
should be made seIf-sustaiDing rs soon as pos
sible The burden of building it is a heavy one
upon the taxpayers of both cities. The sooner
relief is obtained, and the bridge made to earn
an income the better for all concerned.
The question of rates of toll on the bridge,
which is now before the Board of Trustees, is
one in which the public has deep interest. A
committee of the Board made a report on the
subject several weeks ago, and final action, it
| is expected, will I've taken Tomorrow 1t seems
| to be generally considered wise that no charge
should be made for foot-passeDgers; that the
| bridge 90 far as pedestrians concerned,
should he as free as any public highway. The
| committee of trustees took this view in their
report. That they were wise in doing so we
| think admits no question. The bridge is about
| a mile and quarter in length, and even if so
small charge as cent were made for walk
| ing across it, tue income from this source would
| not be very large, as few persons would prob
ably care to walk so great distance when they
could cross the river comfortably in n ferry
| boat for about the same sum. Again, If the
| bridge is free large numbers of wOrkEg-peoplc
| will walk from one CITY to the other when go
| ing to or returning from work, saving what in
! the course of year amounts for them to IA con-
| siderable sum, ard at the same time having an
unequaled opportunity of breathing abso-
lutely fresh air for half an hour or so every
! day. 1t is altogether probable that with the
bridge free to pedestrians il will become pop
ular, as it will be heaIthful, resort. especially
| Oh hot summer evenings. The promenade
cupios the middle part Of the structure-with
the driveways and railway tracks on either side
and is elevated about nine feet above the
main floor. This assures an unobstTucted view
OF the river, the two cities and the bay, as well
AS a free sweep of air. and will make walking
on the bridge thoroughly enjoyable. This Op-
portunity will be most keenly appreciated by
| the poorer classes who dwell in tenement
houses, and it would be cruel to shut them out
from it by requiring even triiling toll.
That the bridge should be free to all who de-
sire to walk over it appears indispensable.
Considerable difference Of opinion, however,
exists in the public mind and in the minds of
the bridge trustees as to the rates that should
be charged for conveying passengers on the
cable railway which crosses the bridge, and also
in reference to the schedule of tolls for light
vehicles, carriages, trucks, etc. Some men,
bcrs of the Board of Trustees contend that the
bridge should be absolutely free for all classes
of travel that the only charge should he for
riding in the railway cars. Others are in favor
of requiring payment for all kinds of travel ex-
cept for walking on the bridge. The COM
mittee whose report has been referred to rec
commended q charge of five cents for riding in
the cars and prepared a schedule of tolls for
vehicles not widely different from the rates
charged by the Union Ferry Company, with
which the bridge will come into direct compc-
t,tiOn.
The principle on which this question should
be decided is, in our opinion, this: The bridge
should be made to earn as much as possible for
the taxpayers who have built it. Unwise as it
may have been to heap up the costly structure,
we must now do the hest We can with it.
Hence scale of charges should be adopted so