The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-21
THE GRADE CROSSING BILL.
PROTEST AGAINST 1T BIZ THE BOARD
OF STREET OPENINGS

the Cost of Raising Less Than One Mic
OF Railroad Trneks ut the Expense of
HuIntnE Our Best Water Front.
Among the bills in the hands OF Gov. Hill,
and awaiting his signature or veto. is one
that is intended to do away with all street
crossings OF railways at grade. 1t was opposed
nv the New York city members, and their op-
nosition has been continued by the Board OF
street Opeuings The Board Is made UP OF the
Nnyor the Comptroller, the Commissioner OF
Public Works. tho President OF the Park De-
nartment and the President OF the Board OF
Aldermen At the last meeting of these
official. resolutions we're passed asking the
Governor to veto the bill, and accompanying
them 10 Albany was this protest, signed by all
tho members Of the Board:
The undersigned members OF the Board OF Street
Openings anu Improvements of the city of New York.
do most earnestly renonstrate against your approval
of bill before you known as Senate bill No. 7ls
lrintcrs No o, enuted An act to amend chapter ~
of the Of 1893 entitled AN act to regulate the
.ructon Of roads and streets across railroad tracks
The effect your approval Of such bill would be
reari IL not in many instances prevent the opening
OF streets aud in the city OF New York which
i've access tho entire front of tho Harlem River
rom the Hudson to the sound Great complaint is
made by the population OF the district embraced
WITHIN these limits OF the de ays attending
street openings To add further pedments to such
openings and further delay would be disastrous
IN the extreme The United States Government has ap
rrolrated large sum OF money and is being
petoned TO appropriate a very largo sum at once to
complete the navigation OF the Harlem River from the
hudson the To practically cut of all
zach river might be the case il the proposed legsa
ton is enacted would be to neutraze and probably
defeat tho OF those who endeAvori to
improvements vital interest to New York completed
the earliest prac tcable moment Tho power open
streets is vested in the heads OF tho
forming the Board OF Street Openings and Improve.
ments of tho city OF New YORK, representing all in
terests and may be safely eonnded to Board This
proposed legislation would radically change tho whole
ssem of street opening, and would discriminate in
where the streets TO cross railroad tracks
That there would be ono mode OF procedure to open the
another mode OF procedure to open them wnsro they
a e 5oSs w T.Hs apply 10 an
raroads For these and many other reasons which
your approval of such bill.
5I'S. .GNT T W,SnS i, M H1as
ions II. V ARNOLD
BESIDES these heads OF departments private
ernor in OPPOSITION to, the bill. Among them
are the Real Estate Exchange tho Astor es-
Port Port norris Land and Improvement Company.
The 90 ectiCns of all these interests are in
VOWED in the following quotation from the
lul
No street or highway within the limits Of any city
con.1nnS Pei Of mics Of snsS s Of
Hereafter he laid out opened or constructed across Any
81 Sr ITaSk in any or
station grounds OF such railroad on the same ground or
to hc % Ss Tns S s9 nnSc
ssssity requires such lay out opening Construction
wentv days NOTICE Of application tor such order shall
posed 70 be so or SD An appeal may be taken to the
% "siSr ''' IL u Vac 'p'' '''''' A'' 'N'D
More than a year ago petition came before
the board, OF Street Openings from resident
avenue he opened to the river. This avenue
runs from North, Third avenue south to 1929
the freight YARD Of the New ORR. New Haven
and Hartford iiailcoad, II the street were to
be onehned p,t9nsd 1t would have to cross
!on. and countered with ano her petition ask.
tnued and that Brook avenue be closed The
freight station east and nor beast across land
owned by tho GOuNerneur Morris estate and
pn 9 of Ali the streets street sn MENTIONED and many
O. hers were projected in 1868 before the rail !
road was bpilt; The grades we're ilXed at that
c Htond 10 the water front. The y alter is I'M
usually deep near the shore. Mayor Grant
" It is one Of the most valuable water fronts
IL the world. certainly the most valuable in
render 1t absolutely useless. The railroad it
self is built upon baul; supported ny spiles.
general level Of tho land. Iy the provisions of
The Coggeehall bill all toe streets pro ected for
the hundreds Of acres Whereabouts would
which is, quite impractcable., or, would !
lave to be raised over, them by bridges;
prevent the heavy true king which will |
be feature of business when the locality IS
;nr water front at such an elevation ns to
make docks there unavailable. II, however,
lLc railroad should elevate It's tracks afew ioet
The grade originally determined. The purpose
Oh this bill is to enable the railroad to save The
expense OF elevatinE IT. tracks; L must either
DO this or the value OF the land Will he lost and
tie city will lose its best remaining water
These considerations prompted the Board OF
Street Opening on July 10 last TO deny the Pc
titions OF the New Haven Railroad Company.
Although there were good reasons %hy Alex
arder avenue should not be opened across fifty
tracks to the water front, the refusal oil the
iondenrs petition would have set dangerous
Port Morris property owners were proceed
oary IN the ieslsatiVe session living Barns
o. oMkers introduced bill into the Assembly
nat was identical in its provisions with the
'"unsol Clark Immediately went to Albany to
convey the protest OF the ijoard OF street Open
Land ompnny. tho Real Estate Exchange. and
the Aston and Morris estates went along also
mittee of the sembly. and 20 such purpose
hat the committee resolved unanimously not
to report the bill,
New Haven Railroad people represented TO the
state Railway Commissioners thnt the rail-
railway traffic. 10y abolishlng grade crossings;
The COMMIT -sioners thoughtit good idea. and
recommended the proposed measure to Sena-
tor Coggoshall. who forthwith introduced It,
The opI!onents of the bill say they have never
imputed improper motives TO Senator Cogge-
: ali or the Commissioners in this matter.
They think that the Albany ueopIe were blind
- by whnt appeared TO be on the surface I'M
Objectionable aud worthy features
senator tOgEeShall introduced the bill |
April Il. 1t was Immediately read twice or
iored to n third reading and referred TO the
ommIttee on Railroads retaining its place on
the order OF third reading. The, committee re-
ported it iayorably on The 23th. and it was
through the same rapid process in the Assem-
bly, Hardly had the bill reached the Governor
when Representative OF the railEoad called
upon him to urge hum to sign 1t Immediately.
The callers anxiety convinced GOV Hill that
the measure deserved Investigation. and ac-
cordingly the bill has NOT yet been signed
Thus TAR tho city authorities have objected
to the bill solely on account Of tho damage it
would inbict To the cty's interests Private
persons and corporations who opposed IL have
called Gov. Hiil's attention to fine point IN