New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-06
MAJORITY ON THE EAST SIDE.
GREAT PREPONDERANCE OF TRAFFIC SHOWS THE NEED OF
A TUNNEL RAILROAD THERE.


sensers is greatest. From seventy-second-st to
Sfxty-second-st. the East and West Side sta
tions seem again to share the total amount OF
the traffic nearly equal terms
Because Of the fact that the Ninth-ave. line
divides at Fffty-third-st into Two branches with
three long blocks of track in this street.
between Sixty-seeond-st. and Forty-second-st.
the passengers from East ard West Side sta
tions are about the same in number The total
number of passengers carried on the elevated
lines in Manhattan for the year 1901 was 19o.-
045I41 of which ia 374 800 were carried on the
Second and Third-ave. lines. and 1851. .412
the Sixth and Ninth-ave. lines. Although many
of the passengers carried on the Second-ave.
and Third-ave. lines residents of The Bronx
as far north as fremont. such an addition to the
travel simply congests stfI further the facilities
of these roads.
The reports of the Metropolitan company also
show that the preponderance Of it's traffic is on
its East Side lines A comparison of the Broad
way and Lexington-ave line. which is the most
heavily patronized at the present time Of the
surface lines of the Metropolitan company. with
the Eighth-dve line. which carries more OF the
West Side traffic than any other line west Of
Central Park shows that the traffic Of the
former is nearly twice great as that of the
latter. As has been told in The Tribune. the
district Of the city live the upper East Side.
and utilize the Broadway and Lexfngton-ave
line. A comparison of the business of the
Broadway and Lexinstou-ave. line and the
Madison-ave. line with the Eighth-sve. line is
given in the following table:
Maximum passenger movement busiest Nfsnhstta,
surface lines during ended June 80. 1901
146tH-st. and Fourth-ar- ave.
= ,s.St-er- -
Ferry. 10 PostofHce. Fsrry.
Passsn2srs Ps for 2ss1si 7sa7ss a.rso7ss
day t,s.se., 17oaas 1zs5ss $500
a.i ss.s. sv ssr 80 Is sso
Maximum busiest -, -, ,,o
standing and * load averaga car 90 90 %
The number of passengers carried on all the
lines of the Metropolitan system for the year
ending June 30. 1901, was 5Jo61O.4 .4S5. Of which
about 3SOO6Ooo0 We're carried East Side
lines
The chief Importance of these figures ia that
they plainly Indicate the great earning capacity
of subway the East Side Inasmuch as the
city would eventually the road. and only
extends it's credit for it's construction by the
issue of bonds il can be seen that the line would
in time prove a rich source OF revenue TO the
municipality. That it would prove paying
venture for the contractor who would have the
operation of the railroad for the next fifty years
is evident
The construction Of an East Side subway. II
built on the same basis the present subway.
would not cost the city cent. The city would
merely extend it's credit. Bonds would be issued
and sold and the contractor would be paid for
the cost OF construction by the sale Of these
bonds The interest these bonds would be
paid by the contractor or a company 70 which
he might assign his right TO operate the sub
wav. and the bonds would eventually be paid
off in the next fifty years by deposit Of l
per cent each year. which would also be made
by the operating company Thus at the end or
hftv years the bonds would have been paid OFT
and the tunnel would become the property OF
the CITY. and would then bring in revenue
equal with the earning capacity Of the road.
on such an East Side branch this revenue would
in all proba hlity amount TO many millions OF
dollars annually.
The city's debt limit may at present prevent
the issue of bonds for the construction of an
East Side subway, but il is argued that all the
preliminary work should be done immed1a tely.
50 as to permit actual construction work TO be-
gin at the earliest date possible