The times., 1901-03-11
GRADE CROSSING REFORM.
Progress in AboIishing Railway In
tcrsections in New York

crossings In this State, many of which
are a menace TO life and property Under
the law of 1897 the work of abolishine
these dangerous crossings is well under
way. No work was done, however. until
1898, when the law became operative. The
first change was at Shortsville. where a
single highway was carried under the
tracks Of the New York Central at a cost
of $1,000. The law provides:
THAT no steam railroad hereafter con
structed shall cross highways at grade
without the consent of the Board of Rail
road Commissioners. That no highway
shall hereafter be constructed across q
steam railroad excepting i'm a manner tC
be determined by the board method
for aboishing existing railroad crossings
of steam railroads-the expense of build
ing new steam roads at grade or over OF
under the grade, or highways. must be
borne by the company. The expense OF
building new highway crossings at grade
or over or under the grade of steam rail
roads must be borne half by the munich
pal corporation and half by the railroad
company. The expense of abolshing eX-
listing railroad crossings must be borne sc
per cent by the railroad company, . per
cent by the State, and % per cent by the
municipal corporation"
The law also provides that steam rail
roads hereafter constructed across the
tracks of any other railroad, and any
street surface iailroad hereafter con-
structed across a steam railroad, shall be
above, below, or at grade Of such exist
ing railroad, as the Board of Railroad
Commissioners shall determine, and the
board in such determination shall fix the
Of Of
to be borne by each.
In the two years the work has pro-
gressed forty-eight grade crossings have
been abolished and the work on ten others
is nearing completion. Plans and specif-
cations have been approved in a number
of cases. which means that the work will
proceed as soon as practicable In sew
eral instances public crossings have been
changed to private crossings. In some
cases where it is necessary under the law
that the local authorities acquire the nee
essary land the authorities have failed
to do so. The most important of these
cases is that of the proposed overhead
crossings of the Delaware and Hudson
Railroad at Ontario Street, in the city
of Cohoes. This crossing is used by a
street surface railroad, and it was there
Labor Day, 1895. when a loaded trolley
car was struck by steam train.
The total appropriation thus far made
for the States proportion, less S25,0O9 for
administration, is s275, ,O00. Up to Decem-
Der 81 the State had paid out 81, ,S39. 1t
had, however, made decisions on appica-
tions for construction and for the compile
tion of work the estimated cost of which
is S150.20l. This estimate in some cases
includes land TO be acquired. There are
a number of cases on Long Island where
the board has made determinations in
which the total expense viii be the ac-
quirement of land for and the laying out OF
new highways. The amounts for these
are not included in the estimate given.
Petitions from the city of Buffalo for
the changing Of seven grade crossings of
the belt line of the New York Central ana
Hudson River Railroad from grade to
overhead crossings We're received. but as
the amount available to pay the States
proportion was not sufficient the petitions
were dismissed.
When this work was undertaken it was
discovered that in many instances grade
could be abolished by simply
altering highways and at slight cost to
the town. This was done at SoIsville
Madison County. where bV building = abotIt
two miles of highway along the towpath
of the old ChenangO Canal three CROSSINGS
Of the New York. Ontario and West ern
were abolished. Another case where four
crossings were abolished was i'm Golden
Erie County a highway crossed the
track four times in comparatively short
distance because it partly followed the
base of the hill To do away with all four
crossings highway was built TO the west
of the hill.
In many places high banks exclude the
view of approaching trains and unless
a fagman Is stationed al such points the
utmost precautiOn must be taken to pre-
vent accidents. At Randolph Cattarau-
gus County. the intersection Of two high
ways was crossed by the main line of the
Erie Railroad. y filling was constructed
a short distance to the west and the
,rossing transferred to that point and put
under the tracks At another point in
were two highways, both cross
ng the Erie at grade. They met short
distance north Of the track, intersecting
each other AT right angles. To remedy
his condition one highway was carried
lnder the track and travel from the other
VAS diverted to this one on the south
side of the track.
At BroOkvew, on the Boston and
Albany road, by the construction of a
,ridge over the Boston and Albany tracks
md the building of the necessary con-
ieCting highway. three crossings at grade
we're abolished. At St. townsville a via
luct was carried over the nine tracks of
he New York Central. This was a dan
serOus crossing, as trains pass through
IT townsville at full speed and the view
making il almost impossible to see ap-
,rOaChing trains.
The piece of work of the greatest mag
itude undertaken thus far is at Bing-
amton, where CheuangO Street, the main !
rtery between the north and south parts
f the city, was carried over five tracks |
f the Erie Railroad and two tracks of |
he Delaware, Ldckawanna and Western. |
NE hearings given by the railroad com !
mission in this case showed that between |
]. 900 and 5000 persons used this crossing |
ally. The crossing was frequently block |
q for from fifteen TO twenty minutes at ;
time. causing great annoyance. The /
ost of the viaduct, exclusive of land
is si30,000 the greatest cost Of |
ny Of the changes thus far made under
he law providing for the aboliShing of /
rade crossings.
In all cases where there is a desire to
bolish railroad crossings a petition must
- made TO the railroad commission either
Y the municipal authority or by the rail
Dad company, after which the board
ives a hearing at which all interested
arties may appear or be represented.
pom the evidence submitted at the hear
TX the board renders its decision. which
lust be complied with. In case the de-
sion orders the crossing to be abolished
Ians are prepared by either the railroad
)mpany or the engineer Of the board.
uch plans must be approved by the COM
lissiOn. The work may be done by the
abroad company or by contract. When
one by contract bids must be submitted
the railroad commission for its ap-
rOvaL Upon completion of the work,
hich has been regularly inspected by an
Ispector from the railroad commission
flee a final inspection is made by the
)ard 5 engineer and the work is APP
rOved or disapproved, as he may recon-
end.
= New Rubber Tubing.
Consul Hughes. of Coburg. Germany
ports to the State Department here
lat a Pankow firm has brought out
wv kind of rubber tubing To be used