New-York tribune., 1902-12-05
THE PARK AVENUE IMPROVEMENT.

THE PARK AVENUE IMPROVEMENT.
The New-York Central company submitted
to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment
Yesterday new plan of tunnel and ter
minaI changes which at least goes far tow
ard meeting the views of property owners III
the neighborhood and satisfying conditions on
which the municipal authorities have lndicateu
though as vet not positively. disposition 10
insist, The company's Introductory statement
would seem TO show either that the attitude OF
property owners has until recently been mis-
understood or that they have recently changed
their opinion as 70 what is desirable: put 'hat
is not important. The main thlng Is thaL
the company now recognizes the propriety OF
consulting private and municipal interests as
far as possible. aud offers to carry out a scheme
OF Improvement which would obviate some of
the most weighty objections to the original
plan.
On some features of the present plan. pre-
sented in an alternative form. judgment must
be reserved until they have been more fully
discussed-namely. the proposals for the eiiml-
nation of grade crossings at Morris Heights.
Fordham Heights and High Bridge and at
seven street intersections in the vicinity or
Kfngsbridge- How that valuable object can
be best accomplished with due regard to the
interests of property owners, the convenience
of the railroad and the public and the welfare
of the municipality is a perplexing question on
which much more light is needed. For the
present we may leave it out of consideration
A more familiar and more important part of the
plan is that which relates to Park ave. below
Fifty-siyth-sf., where now all the cross streets
are severed by the open cut. As we said in an
editorial article last Sunday. there are many
strong reasons for closing that long cash. at
least to the extent of continuing the intersect-
ing streets over-the railroad: indeed it seems
to us that such healing process ought to be
instituted without unnecessary delay. Existing
conditions disfgure section of the city which
would otherwise be attractive depress values.
impede general traffic and greatly embarrass
the Fire Department They can be rectited by
depressing the railroad tracks to a level which
would permit the severed cross streets to be
Joined and that prerequisite work Of track de-
preston the company is willing to undertake at
fits own expense, provided ii secure from
the city certain facilities essential to neces-
sary extension Of its yard and the satisfactory
operation OF its trains. in connection with the
installation Of electricity in place Of steam as
the motive power.
But the city obviously has something more
TO do for the accomplishment of highly desir-
able and almost Imperative object than merely
there under the authority and protection of
law. With the growth Of the city various evils
such as we have specified have resulted from
the company's enjoyment of its rights, and it is
time those evils were got rid of. But the com
pany alone cannot be justly required even
fairly asked TO end them all. 1t is ready to de
press its tracks and Introduce electric power at
great cost to itself. but the obligation of ex
tending the cross streets over the cut north Of
the yard rests on the city. That is essentially
n municipal Improvement, and the municipal
ity ought to pay for if, especially in consdera-
tion of the fact that the public treasury would
get back the cost in no long time from the in
crease of taxable values. In that respect, as
in all others. the company makes its position
and intentions entirely clear, and whether or
not some modification of its definite proposals
may be found advisable. we do not hesitate to
say that the solution Of a difficult problem
which it offers is in the main sagacious and
fortunate.
Some subsidiary features of the company's |
plan which are not directly related TO the chief
object in view further commend it TO general |
approval. We pointed out on Sunday that If |
the Central should agree to depress Its tracks 1t
would probably Of its own accord abandon its |
original plan of widening the existing cut along |
Park-ave. and shifting roadway and sidewalk |
corresponding distance westward The pro- |
posals submitted yesterday exactly confirm that |
supposition. 1t seeks the Of space beneath |
the surface of the avenue from Forty-f1fth to |
Fifty-seventh-st, but will not disturb the sur |
face or change the frontage. While Of consid- |
cradle Importance to property owners and resi- |
dents in that neighborhood. it is clearly advan-
tageous to the city also that the line of the ave-
nue. should not be altered; nor If the company |
ING fhcr fhop hr- ir,fn caI1}
the property which it has recently acquired |
there will anybody have cause TO complain. |
On all accounts, therefore, the company's prop |
osition is welcome, and we are glad to know |
that it was Hospitality received by the Mayor |
and I'm general by those present at the meeting. |