New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-07
RAPID TRANSIT CHANGES.
THE COMMISSIONERS MAKE EXPLANA-
TIONS.
F1Msr ROUTE FOUND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
WAY TUNNEL WIDENEp-Thh Val LIS O'>
BROADWAY TO BE REcLAiMED-oTHEK


WAY TUNNEL. w1DENEp-THE VAULTS UNDER
BROADWAY TO BE RECLAIMED-oTHER
DETAILS OF THE PLANS.
There was full attendance OF the Boar1 OF rap,
transit Railroad Commissioners at an aNJou' ",
meeting yesterday afternoon the rneetlns us W
,,ved mill a late hour in order that Mayor strong
and Controller Fitch might be present IL was ue
c,dod m present 10 the public the appended stat
roent Of the reasons for changes which nave ose
made IN former plans for the construction u
rapid-translt road;
To the People Of the City OF Newro ooRd Commits
sioners having adopted routes and genera Pint
OF cCn.Tu tbn aff that have determined
iheir actions In accordance with tne rHo' s,h
mjtted to you in November the question as 10 y Hu
nicpal construction Of rapd-'Ta aps,rncton of
rapid-trans system for the city by rs
nearly 10000 In accordance VIII t in favor of
a munic.pa system OF rapid transit the c.
i ms nrnvIsjonally adopted in the following par
s se%la P'?''s'''', -. r.. Side route from
two tracks along Fourth or Park ave- to cross IN, Inc
Hrm SPGn Tbs is prac,cable by laying the
Of the tracks Of the roads running into SHT r the
Central Depot hS ia c To The westward Of the
bridge u.ep o Wy Shortened the West Side route by
Tney hd at 6ne-hundred- eighty -hfhst in
stoppnSS carrvjng ii to the city line The motive for
this change f is tht pyyo Ht routes as Nodded
for construction alone. Is somethlng over go
without regard to any land damages 'hat " ma!
They have provided connection through, r paTK
70 the bridge in addition to the previous connection
With the tracks running directly up BroadTay as
near the surface as possible. thus bringing the
platforms eight feet nearer TO the @ ssye ' an
Duaily an nnumerable number of steps TO those
"5'o They have widened the tunnel on Broadway
from forty-four feet to fifty feet. TINS mas oeen
done in the interest OF safety, upon the au'ce 'i
they have provided for ADEQUATE pipe gs; ,Ses
Chambers-st and Thirty fourth-st This is nee &c
essary consequence OF lifting the railroad nearer the the
ama 10 HeSa for e the city be
the sidewalks now b S es ey from this
result was either avoid Broadway altogetEer. or
S SG 10 t 4" level The has been unable to
avoid Broadway by m9yns INTO NeW not Vet open
as street and is to be opened under Jaw t me
cons;itutonay of which has been qnestohsfo t by
tba abntting property-oWners The counsel OF the
commission have advised them that this SITUATION
would delay the construction OF @ not less than
hears anS RsThaRs as ,h hong as
that New Elm-s,. is out of the question ~ IS pfTPe ,
to add that many OF the commission is the
best street for the rapid-transit railroad b9h IN
the o Ios S 3ns Te he Pooaon Of rapid
.rans,t road in broadway will keep that thorough
fare in the long future it has been IN me pasI,
the great artery Of the citys traffic. Neither has
the commission been able TO ADOPT any Oh w
passing beyond the curb lines of the street me ne
commission believes that il is necessary 10 IN eyei
Broadway, elsewhere four TRACKS upon Sne III III
10 Justify the city in eXperdng forty or my III
ions Of dollars for rapd,tra34s I ses as an
alternative to Broadway. provided tor FOUR 80,
upon the level and this has been say on the mo-
nent wide streets have been al 9oIn ma o tracks
in Broadway between the City Hall and the Bat Bat.
terry to be so located as to permit oa of T need in
stead Of three tracks at once and as naSe ao pr a
ion ,xo PT tracks on fG the from
hundred -thirtyffth-st. to One. Ths
e4oVssona plans Called for four tracks immediate
X on the West Side between
& On the boulevard the Commission have adopt
ed the suggestion of the Board Of Experts wneTe
laid out as tunnel becomes elevated viaduct.
This change d If sbsTe 20 long space Of open
air riding for underground transit on the QUIET ti
me provisional routes. for vehicles to cross the
boulevard where the tracks come out OF or o 60
ST. to point about 100 feet north Of
from the north side OF thireenh
ST. and from point midway between ond d-a1t;
AND This
last change. however, Is fairly orsst Dy tne pe
ans g from point between hi
tvsecondst and One-hundred and thr,y-third...st
TO the south side of One-hundred nd-thiry n1tn-
ST. BY changes in the grade Of the cross-ssree,s
this result can be somewhat modified Inc cnah &c
IN mas constructon thus enabling the road 10 be car
ried so much further TO the north .,,o,,o, e.,
Broadway while they secure most important al.
vantages for the public entail one hG
lying upon the surface OF the changes: 10 "nS IN
the Commission desire TO call the attention OF inc
pg9 9bs road ds in Broadway by compelling the city
to reclaim the vaults, introduce INTO tne -.
work disadvantagecusy TO the interests Of the city
when Il contract is 10 be made tor the cons, it
Contemplate such an uncertainty would allow for
IL sum large enough to make hlInselI 81 Ue
necessarily the cost of the enterprise The .oni-
mission bc haTf bep Te now acting Which
will permit the city 20 condemn the vault spaSee
abeI still further 10 shorten the railroad in It's
reach toward the north. they nave suggesteu nav VA
,br un1 not 70 exceed s. 100000 to be placed at
the service of the Commission. II the CITY as,
NH cost se so much the and be carried so
much further for the sum at command As h aga
the cost OF the vaults, the city VIII own umt PIP 4
ca leries and can secure from them certain IN ~
orhS than se Of 5ha great 9e CITY,
Evervwhere in the lower part OF New forK; ol1
and small sr1 SCans The bepaTtmsn of Public
Works always foresees the time when us ooht t
con,nled 10 the lower part the city If that sec
zion is 10 continue receive an adequate supply OF
gas. The pipe galleries afford ready and con,
sSanient solution of this problem. Entirely apart
ha Question of income to be obtained from
the pipe galleries they will be of Saae
rroner,v-oWners must contemplate constant m
reference with the surface Of the street LOT me
nurnose Of prolonging and enarging pipe lnes un-
iess some permanent provision, like pipe gaiieries,
is made in order &c deal with this proDnem, IL Il
rnen,s 70 the law which they have suggested nave
advantages for the city and for Broaaway uees,
had been easy of solution, it would have been
30 ~ 9neie nrpose to solve IT in the best posi-
~ 1900 The cost of the enterprise is 40 great
Ia