New-York tribune., 1902-02-05
MAY LAY TRACKS IN PLAZA
BRIT. WANTS ANOTHER OUTLET FROM
THE BRIDGE IN BROOKLYN.

The bridge plaza in Brooklyn, which cost the
city something like $3.OO0o00. will probably
he further dsfgured within a short time by the
aging of additional trolley tracks The Brook
lyn Rapid Transit Company, which has fran
chise for Liberty-st Brooklyn has asked Bridge
Commissioner LindenthaI's permission to go
ahead with the work of laying a single track
along that thoroughfare and across the plaza
to the south roadway of the bridge, the purpose
being to afford another outlet from the bridge
for trolley cars, which are occasionally con-
gested on the tracks which lead from the Brook
lyn terminal to FultOn-st. Confidence was eX-
pressed last night by one of the officials of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company that Com
missioner Lindenthal would give the necessary
authority.
The franchise for Liberty-st. was obtained be-
fore 1898 In that year the railway company
planned to lay its tracks. but the late Michael
Murphy. who owned hotel at Liberty and High
sts., and who was president of the Van Brunt-
Street Railroad Company, got an injunction pre-
venting the rapid transit company from laying
It's tracks. This injunction has been in ef-
Feet ever since. Mr. Murphy. it is said
acting in the interests of the Mas
sau company, and when that company was
merged with the Rapid Transit Company. he
withdrew his objection and consented to Yacate
the injunction. He died three weeks ago, how
ever, before his written consent could be OBJ
tained. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
within the next two weeks will ask that the
injunction be vacated and as there is none to
oppose the application 1t is thought that 1t will
he granted.
The bridge plaza originally purchased by
the city from the Brooklyn Heights Railroad
Company. Liberty-st is short, and from
the east side of the plaza into Fulton-st. at Til
lary-st.
J. c. Breckenridge. general manager Of the
Brooklyn Heights Railroad Company, when seen
by a Tribune reporter last night. said:
Mr.. Murphy was the only person opposed to the
Withdraw his objection when he died. He repre-
scented the interests OF the old Nassau company,
hut since the merger of the two companies there is
no competition. and consequently no one to oppose
application to vacate the Injunction. Mr.. Muir
ply owned a hotel Liberty and High sts., and
%6e f2 The his 3R ne NeagS a he oey h
property owners along Iiberty-st. are in favor of
be removed first and within a couple of weeks we
will take steps 10 that end The tracks will be laid
Under no Circumstances will we discontinue the
FuIton-st There will only be single track in Lib
ertyst. fer the present and this will be sufi-
Cient to relieve the crush.
Mr. Breckenridge does not approve OF Com
missioner Lindenthals plan requiring
bridge passengers to deposit their tickets in
boxes at the Brooklyn terminal. He said about
this:
There is no way of avoiding the crush on the
bridge. BY Mr.. LindenthaiS plan il is simply
transferred from the Manhattan terminal the
Brooklyn end but 1T affords no especial accOmmo
daton TO the public. 1 can see no particular ad-
vantage in it. 1t interferes somewhat with the
traffic on the elevated railroads. the ticket
booths and cages occupying about 20 per cent of
the floor space the stations. It affords abso-
lutely no reHef TO the congestion. There is the
same number Of passengers and the same num-
ber Of trains to handle, and the same number of
tickets deposited in the boxes makes little
difference whether the tickets dropped in boxes
the Manhattan Brooklyn end. It has the
lp for a lOTt
There ought to be some activity on the part Of
the bridge MANAGEMENT toward the raising Of the
ing to the plans submitted by the committee of
experts appointed by Commissioner Shea. 1t
the public would be better accommodated
Mr. Lindenthal says the tracks will be ele-
Of the traffic the old bridge diverted. The new
bridge Will land passengers at Rvington and Gin
TO the business centre of Manhattan he
low Chambers-st. There are no facilities for
borbood Of the CitT Hall exre9tin 70 @ Inc neign
The new bridge will not relieve the crush the
cars from Rivington-st. to the neighborhood of
the old bridge terminal.
II was reported last night that Commissioner
IindenthaI would consent to the use of Liberty
st by the Brooklyn Rapid Transit COMPANY
provided Corporation Counsel Rives who now
has the plans. gave his approval.
Mr.. Lindeathal expressed himself as thor
oughly satisfied with the workings Of the new
plan on the bridge. He was not all discour-
aged by the reports of the crush at the Brook
1yn terminal on Monday night and is of the he
lief that with proper trial. the new plan will
afford some relief TO the crowded condition Of
the bridge. He thought that If the BROOKLYN
Rapid Transit Company would operate more
trains from the Brooklyn terminal the conges-
tion would be considerably lessened.