New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-27
EXPENSIVE FOR THE CITY.
TROLLEY TRAFFIC MAKING BIG GU
IN BRIDGE RECEIPTS.
~-prAcr CARS GAINING A LARGELY INCREASED
INCOME FROM THE NEW ARRANGEMENT
THE BRIDGE ENGINEERS salts
FLED WITH THE WAY THH
PLANS ARE BEING
CARRIED OUT.


The trolley tralf'c on the Bridge has taken
tribe moro than one-.hird Of the raihc oi '"e
pr,do. GAYS or about "a per cent. Before the
trolley-cars were put on the Bridge 'ie 'i'o"'s
., the structure was $500 day Now 1t is
1900 less than that. or S23OO day y" 'nc
l,nes that II was intended 10 send across inc
river are row using tie Bridge except two. At
the rate Of 81. 900 a day the loss to Ne"-A DIX
from the introduction Of the trolley on me
Bridge will be abou, S43SOO0 year.
When the elevated cars begin to ru3 the loss
of revenue TO the Bridge will be 'nuch larger
than now II is thought that The D:!dSc cars
then viii carry only passengers whose ''s'H"-
ton Is within walking distance OF the 81 ose'
II ia not necessarily true that the earnings
OF the trolley companies have increased Just as
much as those OF the Bridge cars have faHeh
off. Tho Bridge cars lose two and hat or
three cents q passenger. while OF those VINO
paid the Bridge car fares formerly many 'hou
sands paid the trolley companies an extra hVe
cents fare for carrying them TO or away from
the Bridge.
But the earnings OF the trolley companies
have increased This increase has come Fol"
two sources-the passengers they have taken
from the elevated roads and from the additional
number Of people who are riding.
Figures given to a Tribune reporter yesterday
show g marked improvement in the trafhc or 'he
Brooklyn Heights system, when all Things are
taken into consideration. The increase during
twenty-five days Of February has been SlS'''5
over the same twenty-five days last year But
there was an increase Of Sl',oVo during t"en-
tv.ave DAYS Of January. when the full traffic
had not been put on She Bridge. This would al
first make 1t appear that the increase due to
tort r,spr fF-flN -
hut January was 2 good traffic month. while
February has been an abominable traffic month
Ordinarily during such month instead OF an
increase OF S1S573 in twenty-five days earn
ings. there would have been loss during that
time.
During the first two weeks OF February the
increase I'm earnings was $4,000, and for the
next eleven days, $1,000 This $1,000 increase
came during the windy. cold and stormy days
On February 81 the conductors OF the Brooklyn
Heights Company took $50 443 from passengers
going in it's cars from Manhattan TO Brooklyn
Il believe the trolley traffic on the Bridge has
created riding" said President Rosster IN
no other way can [ account for such an IN
crease. People riding in the roley-cars
who have not ridden before. and Manhattan
people are coming to Brooklyn who had never
been here before. People using the trolley
10 cross the Bridge who live within few blocks
of the Bridge terminal in Broohyn.'
C. c. Martin. Superintendent OF the Bridge, Is
thoroughly satisfied at the manner in which the
traffic on the Bridge is working he said;
Between , and p. m. Friday, 233 cars were
sent across the Bridge. This is car each hfteen
seconds and nearly reaches the maximum thr-
teen seconds Roadway that was planned. Every
thing has worked smoothly. and there has been
no accident or blockade from the start until
now In rounding the curves in the Newly ork
terminal sharp bright railroad men are CON
stantly on hand They know what should be
done ard they do It, During the evening rush
hours cars Of certain lines certain curves. but
this IL unnecessary during the morning hours.
The cars move 50 slowly and the guards watch
so closely that the probability Of an accident is
remote. especially as people are on their guard
there.
every few people use the stairway, but most
people who enter the Bridge and do not want
a trolley-car cross the tracks in preference to
climbing the stairs. At the start | barricaded
two stairways leading from the upper platforms
10 the surface. l did this TO force people TO
get acquainted with the fact that they need
not cross the trolley tracks TO get 10 the street
AS soon as the barricades were removed as
many people used the old starWays as formerly.
showing that they have no fear az the curves.
Il consider that there Is no reed or FOOT
pathway tunnel under the trolley curves DO
not think it woulu be used or that IT VIII be
hiilt