New-York tribune., 1902-05-25

ferring to the map. the writer believes routes
Nos. 1. 4 and practically certain TO be
completed and in operation within from two to
four years. while the future OF route No 3. the
proposed Pennsylvania tunnel. is less certain.
The writer doubts II the traffic across the East
River will in five years be great enough 10 occu-
py the facilities Of five transportation routes.
each with a capacity equal 10 that of the present
Brooklyn Bridge. The article continues;
Let US grant that after the Blackwens Island
Bridge, the New East River Bridge and the Rapid
Transit Railway tunnel are open to traffic there
facilities for crossing the East River There are
two ways in which this traffic may be accom-
modated: another bridge may be built or one or
more 2r additional tunnels may be constituted
Department Of Bridges against tunnels and in
IaV0r OF orIdges may De orleny H summarized sl11
be required under the East River would be purely
the work and their operation Cl It would be almost
impossible 20 construct such tunnel as TO rem
% Ty he asf grade 0f
have terminal Ar any reasonabiy accessible point
on Manhattan Island; "a to furnish the same traffic
qulre six 15-foot tunnels and two 2Sfoot tunnels,
which would cost more to construct than the
6ds sam G @ g9cs n5s wholly unfit for the use of
Let inquire briefly what these arguments of
the bridge engineers amount to. In view OF the
various submarine railway tunnels constructed in
and second statements made come very near being
absurd their face The third statement is worth
IL may De % 1O3fFVfH ser S S st our BaiIs Iva fhose
of the Pennsylvania Railroad appear foresee the
great objection pointed out IN t9is statement dra
The traffic across the East River is essentially
a long distance passenger traftlc 1t Is made up
nearly wholly OF the tra"el of people who live be-
yond walking distance from the various river cross
TO and across them This is the paying traffic
for is sdpPoTS The team tra1c Is almost Wholly
for shortest
routes and those making the least demand upon
the strength of the draught animals. For obvious
reasons ferries are far better suited to handle
traffic of this class than are either bridges or tun-
amount and is rieidiy limited by distances 10 a
then we need to provide only enough tunnels TO
accommodate the railway lines which would nat
East River Bridge is designed TO carry four trolley
raway tracks and o tIe eeHa5ea faa 5GS
are required to replace the, the ralIWay acc9mmoda. @
safely guarantee, think, that they can be built
at no greater cost than that 6rdSe e,s From % ren tnf
advantage a bridge that they may be dis
front, and so disperse instead of congestne the
traffic. For example. one or them could be made 10
Brooklyn which is unProvtded by any of the routes
criticism of the plans for constrqcting ing the Third
shown that the city is nowtse justified by the con
Goo for such a bridge Indeed we believe that upon
the showing so far made the city would be fully
warranted IN abandoning lHlS CoStE structure ana
nocketing the loss of the expenditure already made
There are however far stronger reasons for aban-
donIne the Third East River Bridge than any that
have been yet given The Rapid Transit Railway
has taken action looking toward a
comnIete system of marlborough underground rapid
transit lines. Furthermore reputable capitalists
have expressed the desire build and operate these
lines al their own expense fast as they
thorzed by the commission. The proposition of Mr..
Belmont and the capitalists back of him eliminates
the debt limit obstacle which has always been the
miIlstone around the neck of the commission in it's
endeavors 10 provide logical and comprehensive
rapid transit system.
II seems almost incredible that there should be
donht ~ the wisdom of abandoning work on the
Third Fast River Bridge Indeed. to persist in
nsline an expenditure of $40 900 900 more 10 CON
stTuct tbis bridge will be fagrant misuse of pub
liz