New-York tribune., 1901-10-10
LOCAL STREETCAR SERVICE.

Several articles dealing with the local trans
portation systems of New-York City have been
secured for its October issue by '"The Street
Railway Journal" Mr.. Frank r. Ford dis
cusses the traffic of the city as a whole Mr..
Vreeland and some of his associates in the man.
agement Of the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company give various results of that organiza-
tion's experience, while Mr.. Greatsinger and
others speak for the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company. This commendable stroke of enter
prise is intended primarily for the benefit Of
visitors to the metropolis who are in attendance
on the annual convention Of the American
Street Railway Association, but much informa-
ton is afforded which is of general interest
Some idea of the development of the local
transportation business con be derived from the
fact that in the forty-one years ending with
1901 the population Of the boroughs of Man
haitian, The Bronx Brooklyn and Queens scarce
ly trebled, while the mileage of street railways
increased from 1872 to 1,142 This is an eight
fold gain. In the same period the traffic grew
from a yearly total of 50,S3o,173 passengers to
l. 124 .432, $50. In the Borough of Manhattan
alone the number of persons now carried an
nualIy is, in round numbers TAO, ,0OO, 900, which
is equivalent to more than 100000 single trips
or 100000 double trips daily. On this side of
fewer than 100000 persons ride downtown to
business every morning between the hours Of
I and 0. to say nothing of those who arrive
a little later or go shopping. The return tide
is confined within even narrower time limits.
Brooklyn supplies only about half as many pas
sengers as Manhattan, but the great majority
of these cross the bridge daily. In that bor-
ough the ratio between the number Of persons
carried by surface and elevated roads is more
than four to one. In Manhattan it is less than
that
The most obvious gain In the street railway
service Of the metropolis in the last few years
has come from the introduction of electricity
as motive power. This admits Of much higher
rates Of speed than were formerly attainable,
and it is cause for congratulation that the
change has been effected In Manhattan without
employing the unsightly and obstructive over
head wire. In making use of electricity the
Metropolitan Street Railway Company was not
governed by disinterested motives. however.
The new agent cost 1916 cents car mile in
1900, while cables involved outlay of 1776
and horse power 1898. Another welcome in
novation the transfer system. This grew
out of consultations, and was partly inspired
at least on this side Of the East River-by a
desire TO take traffic away from the elevated
ROADS. Inc result was SATISFACTORY 10 ane Met
ropolitan company, and hence has been con-
tinued. There, again, purely selfish motives
dominated, but the public got the benefit all
the same. A third distinct Improvement IN
transportation facilities is the conveyance of
Brooklyn passengers to New-York without
change of cars. Such a proceeding not
contemplated when the bridge was designed,
and grave doubts have been entertained as to
the expedency of the new policy. But it I'M
questionaby saves time, money and trouble to
the passengers. and 1t has exerted beneficial
influence on the revenues of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company.
Nevertheless the use Of New -York's street
railways is still attended with much discom-
fort and no little peril. Some Of the deficiencies
which now characterize the service attribu-
table, perhaps, to nothing but lack Of foresight
on the part of the transportation companies.
The notion is prevalent, though, that these cor
porations are distinctly less considerate Of the
public than were those engaged in the same
business thirty or forty years ago. A large
share of the blame however must rest on the
municipal authorities, who, on one pretext or
another, unduly delayed provision for under
ground transit In Manhattan, have neglected
properly to care for the Brooklyn Bridge and
in other ways have exhibited great Indifference
to the interests Of the community.
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