New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-22
THE RAPID TRANSIT REPORT.
WORK OF THE COMMISSION FINISHED.
NOTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAS ALREADY
BEEN PUBLISHED.


BEEN PUBLISHED.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners. August bcimon''
Woodbury. Langdon o. Is. Potter, Johh H. o'drih a'"
william Stenwsy. have completed their report whh'h
the time specified by the statute under wmch they
were appointed Commissioner Potter took 1t yester-
iay to the Mayors Office. where II was receiver on
behalf OF Mayor Grant and In his absence by Cor-
porstion Counsel William IL. Clark
The report berns by sagely observing that the Com
m,soncrs End that ample power is conferred by the
statute TO lay ont rapid transit routes except that
existing exemptions render II exceedingly dimcuit IL
not impossible locate routes which shall be OF ehe
AZ IN the public as lines Of through travel After
discussing other difficulties OF both finance ana GU
einecring, and stating the impossibty oil adopting
ronte upon the West Side until the exemption OF large
portion 81 the uptown streets on tal siue - o'''
the report says:
We have However, decided upon and so far locatcd
rontc In the centre Of the city. This line would start
from the City Hall. thence through Ccntre-s'' 10
Readest.. thence diagonay across lots 10 Dnahcs"'
to the intersection of this line by the centre hhe
of Elm St ION plan marked now before inc Bosiu vi
etreet Opepings for the widening and extension OF
Elm-st) thence along Elm-st to Ma1oh-st- 10 us
porhery end thence through lots and across jersey
Houston Blocker. Bond and Great Jones SIS. III
direct line TO Lafay Place, thence u'roue"
lafayette Place to Aston Place. diagonally across
Astor Place and Eghthst. TO Fourthave. thence
tbrouch Fourth-ave. and Parltave u Forty-second-
At cutting of the nor'hwcstcrly corner OF fourth-
i've and Eighth-st. measuring twenty-siX feet on 'o
line OF Aston Place and hfty-two feet on the Inc oi
Fourth ave: then up Fourhave. to Forty-second'st
Our Investigations have demonstrated tha' 'no
road can be built either under or above grounu oi
both IL not necessary in this report TO DISCUSS
the manifest advantages Of the line 50 selccVe" !"
is sufficient 10 say that from ElghthS down 10 "nc
City Hall IL will greatly relieve Broadway ana oprh
ND a hitherto somewhat neglected portion Oh ."o
Try adj
,urc the value Of property along It's hhe. i"o
building Of this road is conditioned upon te opening
ind widening Of Elm-st. through TO LalaNc',c 'io'
End CentTcst., by the city. now uhdef cohsuo-''o"
by the Board of street Openings
IN attempting to locate continuance oil TINS rou'e
IN the Harlem River we determined that its natural
course would be for great portion of the distance
either over under or through Fouith-ave. ABOVE
Forty second-st
while that avenue already occupied by the traces
Of tile New York Central. Harlem and New-l orh' Ne"
Haven and Hartford Railroads. it VIII DC rememocoa
that the cut was made at a large expenditure on the
part of the city, one half of the total expense having
been paid the city. Additional tracks, suihcent 10
continue the route that have been able TO locate
could ne laid without interference with
the present railway and with infinitely less injury 10
the property fronting the same. whatever the
nature of the structures, than in any adjacent avenue
Unless Fonith-ave. is selected the route will neces
sasily 20 up either MadSon-ave. or LeNingtOn'ave'
The Commissioners tnlnK tn1t ntltlcf VI tic>c
avenues should be selected, because they are not
sufficiently WIDE and besides that their for this
purpose would destroy them for residence purposes
The Commissioners decline to attempt TO decide upon
tho plans for the construction Of the proposed rail-
way within the thirty days which is allowed by
the statute for that purpose. the sixty days allowed
for determining the question Of route having been ex
pended They suggest that new Commission might
10 appointed which would have ninety days 10 devote
to construction plans. They have ascerained also that
the selected from its terminus at the City Hall
could be continued 10 The Battery. should the Lcgis
the exemptions from of the streets
ana places below. The exemptions apply 10 fixing
the route under, well over. the exempted streets
In relation 10 the exemption of Fourthavc. and
Forty second St" IN the act OF ISL, the Commits
We would also call Your attention 10 the fact that
while was undoubtedly the intent OF the act of l-1J
10 permit Tie crossing Of the exempted streets and the
crossing OF othcr rapid transit structures yet some
questions have View of the form of certain
apcrda,Ory acsas To whether line can be located
the exempted streets or across other lines of
Mile we have had the opinion of competent
SCI these questions 10 the effect that the intent
these exempted streets and structures there l.
oonbt The statute should be distinctly and plainly
amended In this regard so thai there may be no room
COR discussion on THIS question:
4 new Commission. the report further suggests lii
sSsurou. might c6ntinGc the route 70 the northern
boundary OF ,le city a. we'll as to the later, INC
isrongn e Hnnc%ca District and also westerl
line might lTm from TIE terminus AZ FOurthaVe ana
ibe Harlem River 10 tc kingSb?dge Road or Eleventh
T,fkcrs. a..
Rand Transit Commissioners under the same statute
Tn'ncpt lawyers whom the question has oeen sub.
a pave given he oPnoSn ea , such , rsapPo naiRns
~. the low to prevent the Mayor from doing TINS a.
cn a. II n %ay w be Th acton on the Mayors
part e. looked FOR carly ia the week