The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-02
ONE WALK TO THE PUBLIC.
NO P41HUdY ON THE RIVER SIDE
OF 1HE SPEEDWAY.

| The question OF the location OF sidewalks on
the new Harlem River Speedway and the
| monopoly OF the water front for two miles by
owners OF fast horses and tho exclusion OF the
general public thercfrom. was revived at the
| meeting OF the Park Board yesterday by Presi-
dent Tappen, who presented n report reclting
| thJ action ofthe Commissioners in relation to
| the speedway. In defending the choice OF .
| single sidewalk on the land side Of the speed
| way, the report said:
1T was question Of safety and avoidance Of
all accident or collision on the driveway be-
tween drivers and their teams and foot pas
| sengers that led to this decision. Its reason-
| abeness is further apparent because we know
that the landscape and other Vows OF the
valley of tho upper Harlem can be quite as well.
and indeed more safely enjoyed"
In the course of time. Mr.. Happen said. q
walk higher MP on the cliff might DO provided
for pedestrians.
| Il want to say a word in regard to the Press
| dents report" said Commissioner Dana II
| desire to call up tho resolution which spoke
| OF at tho last meeting, and would like to say
| also. with regard to the rights OF the public to
the waterways. that to shut off the west side
| OF this road is precisely on tho same principle
| as II you should shut of one side OF Central
| Park and say that access shall not BIO had to
that side and that people shall not pass to II II
| they are on the other side.
Tho river is q highway. There is natural
| right of the people to the shora. 1t has been
suggested that an outside sidewalk which In
| volved bridges was not feasible. Bridges were
objections that could not lie thought of. The
fact remains that in the case Of tho speedway
intended for Central Park two years ago there
would have been twenty bridges. and many Of
those bridges instead of being fifteen feet
wide as the two bridges or three bridges
which would span this speedway. would be
| from forty to sixty feet wide Moreover, these
| bridges proposed for that speedway can be SO
treated that nobody can ever loiter on them.
nobody can ever drop anything on the horses
beneath. 1t would DO simply as II you had
dropped the arches OF tho Washington Bridge
and High Bridge down lower: that is ALL"
Commissioner Clausen here interrupted Mr..
Dana TO ask the clerk to road long type-wrt-
ten statement of his position In the matter Of
| the speedway.
| "One OF tho points," said he. which deter
| mined my own action In this m after was the ut
terimpracticabiity Of sidewalk on the easter
ly side Of the road. as such a sidewalk can only
| lie approached by means Of boats on the river.
and. consequently, would DO valueless for the
| use of the great mass OF tho people. while so
interfering with the driveway. II pedestrians
were allowed to cross, as to make it virtually
| useless. Indeed. II l am not mistaken.
this Commission is unanimous in the opin-
ion that there can be no crossing OF the
driveway from sidewalk to sidewalk. and it 10
proposed. by one Commissioner. to obviate
| this difficulty by building bridges from side
to the other-ths Tor the avowcd convenience
| OF pedestrians. Without entering into tho
merits of this proposition. shall simply call
your attention to the fact that with equal JUS
tice this Commission might be asked to mako
| provision for pedestrians along the equestrian
| paths in all our parks and along the driveways
OF the same. such IN innovation, 1t seems to
| Il can find nowhere in the act authorizing
tho CONSTRUCTION p this driveway amy proYi-
money I'm in the erecion Of Bridges s or otRee
structures. our duty l., simply to construct u
may deem desirable"
II would like to say right here" said Presi-
not insensible to the various criticisms from
the papers on this question ,. ion They have tried
Of the law and lave Go Sp"GS some pu con- on
siderable time to the examination Of the cues
1T would lie . great mistake to build side
walk On the river side. when We bear in mind
that that there is no r.ch Improvement on any
street certainly have no sidewalks on the river
side Fnd there IL me precedent or authority
eXtreme, margin Of q navigae stream"
In reply Commissioner Dana said:
lature that the new land to ACQUIRED SHOULD
the water front Of the two parks which they al
ready own should be aiken away from them.
water front should be made mace essible, the
| law never could have passed"
rrssdGn Is NET ;s n,o shall
demand hat We have stHrwHs on the riverside. If
Comrossi Dana-I don't how the public
Commssioner strans-only what you have done.
Ths T. al w0rseh up hT9ag You .o r,,v
ahou, this tn,re was about sSttinx his sneedway
preservation Of The parks IN Tins cityis involved the
p125S are v9 9 AZ "s "a, "Goh h,c y,,.d tn
rrotrs, against The central Park speedway did they
co,ans.,Snsf nSgD.-Tnsy Ga tyo'@nt.riy and ar:
other OF their rights and privileges.
Lawson y. Fuller n driver of fast horses and
| one of the foremost advocates OF g speed
sion by nppearinGns an advocate OF the side
walk on the liver front.
| The speedway with one sidewalk" he said,
would be as complete as II double team OF
one horse at the pole; The s, owners OF fast
This resolution, offered by Mr.. Dana,w then
voted down. 3to /;
c Inc IH city mas o Tor Of su Bic
M xb rIy. S pa ts M0 Bdgs
Tnn IN. RnoH right IF to tas ws.sE
but should be ma nncd IN resrect % them an toths
iem fl"er H bryeway way properly 10 20 ANU" '' "-'
Il Eish to say in eXpaGHttoH Of ny v9tei
| Bnll lFeSlueUt lhlpcll, IItl mo pubic llSnt
to the water front will 10 strictly observed in
| all the parks there and shall not be cut OIL
" M: " Mat ga you do d and what Is yGs
| have lust done
| President Thppen-I differ with you there
| Commissioner Dnua-IluSis no beginning OF n har
| monous and wcllcOrsii,rei scheme. and II you
going bui mat road and hhlish that hs stand
ard. tho wEoe thing Is going 10 he jugg ed botch
| President Tappcn then offered resolution
adopting the plan ms prepared with ono side
walk. Hisy approving the specifications and
| form OF contract. and directing advertisement
Tor bids to construct tho first mile OF the
| speedway. Tho resolution also recommended
the nj rOprlRtl on Tor the work by the Board Of
| Estimate If $l,OuO,UUO This resolution was
adopted without Commissioner bGna'S vote.
| and acsiite u strong petition from the City
! IMPROVEMENT Society asking that tho outer
| Sidewalk . provided
! I@ni.capc Architect Vaux reported against
, locating tIe Bryant homryrle in ,cntTal Park
on tho ground that il would occupy too much
| hlare.
4 committee OF the order Of United Amcri-
| Gun IaTIsuters asked tho Board T. ieIuir9
contractors to employ only New YORK city and
| union NuIhiIrn.