New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-11
ACCEPTS SHUTTLE PLAN
B. r. T. TO BUILD LOOPS AT
BROOKLYN END.
PASSENGERS To TAKE ANY CAR AT
PARK ROW - FIFTH-AVE. CARS AT
FERRY Do LITTLE BUSINESS.

FERRY Do LITTLE BUSINESS.
President Creatsfnger of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company at a conference with Bridge
Commissioner Lindenthal yesterday afternoon
agreed to act upon Mr., LiHdenthal's suggestion
that the railroad company put into operation
the bridge circulating shuttle system OF
trolley cars. Under this system, passengers VIII
board any trolley car at the Manhattan terminal
of the bridge, pay fare while the car is on its
way to Brooklyn leave the car at the Brooklyn
end and get a transfer, and hoard car of any
one of the seventeen different lines in Brooklyn
This plan will be operated only during the rush
period. from until $50 p. At all other times
the old system will he used,
It will be necessary 10 construct four loops
at the Brooklyn end of the bridge. 1t will
probably he eight weeks before this work can
be completed If the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company had the material at hand the work
could be done within two or three weeks, but,
according to General Manager Breckenridge.
it will be six weeks before the material can be
obtained. The loops at the Brooklyn end will
he similar to those at the Manhattan terminal
1t will he necessary to cut away many of the
small posts which now support the Brooklyn ter
mnal and replace them with large steel sup
ports. The work will cost between $4,000 and
100000 Cars on the bridge are required to keep
102 feet apart, so that 100 trolley may be
operated on the bridge at one time. In the rush
hours the cars cross the span in about eight or
nine minutes. How conductors are expected to
collect the fares Of between sixty and ninety
passengers in this short time the railroad Off
Gals do not explain. At the Brooklyn end trans
fer agents will be stationed, and transfers will
he handed to all the passengers who are able
TO get within reach of the agents.
The officials of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
Company not in favor Of this plan, but are
willing to try it as an experiment in Difference
to the wishes of Commissioner Lindenthal- At
the meeting of the Committee of Fifty and the
Manufacturers Association in Brooklyn
Gently. when Commissioner Lindenthal presented
his plan for relieving the congestion on the
bridge. John L. Wells. counsel for the railroad
company, announced that President Greatsnger
willing to carry out any suggestion made by
the Bridge Commissioner. The circulating shut
tie plan has been adopted to show good faith.
NAY DEMAND THE PLAZA.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit people not
clear to how they will handle the crowds at
the Brooklyn terminal with the present made
quate switching facilities. 1t is believed that
soon after the plan is put into operation the COM
pany will demand permission to lay its tracks
across the bridge plaza and through Liberty-st.
The switches in Westinghouse. are by no means
suitable for handling The great number OF cars
that would be used there. There is a big switch
station at Fulton ferry which was laid before
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company operated
it's cars over the bridge, and II is believed that
this may be used for many of the cars that now
cross the bridge. In his case IL will be neces-
sary for passengers 20 walk from the Brooklyn
terminal of the bridge across the Plaza TO Full
ton-st to reach their ears.
The crush the bridge" said Commissioner
Indenthal yesterday. occurs between 5 and
$50 p m. There is no difficulty at any other
time OF the day. l believe that the circulating
shuttle system, If put In operation during these
hours, may relieve the situation. Passengers
VIII board the first car they md and the load
ing Of the will be greatly accelerated.
When the passengers arrive in Brooklyn they
VIII find cars to take them home People can
be taken away from the Brooklyn end as fast as
they get there if enough cars are provided. The
system at present in use is not inconv enient in
noh-rush hours. and Will be retained then, In
the hour and a half in the evening we have
about four times many passengers TO carry
TO Brooklyn as we have facilities for. This. 1
believe, will be relieved. At any rate the ex-
pertinent will be tried as soon as the material
can be obtained and put down"
General Manager Breckenridge OF the Brook
Ign Rapid Transit Company at his Of
nee In Montague-st. Brooklyn last evening. He
1--WE want TO give this new plan an absolutely
fair trial. We do not favor It, because We can
see no merit in it. 1t will cost between
$4,000 and 100000. but We are willing to make
the experiment even at this cost"
DOES NOT APPROVE WIDENING PLAN.
Commissioner LndenthaI does not approve
1'N'-
Wilhelm Hildenbrand chief engineer Of cables
for the East River bridge. Mr.. Lindenthal
says that six and a half feet would add little to
the carrying capacity of the bridge.
Il don't think the bridge would be able to carry
more than thousand additional passengers a
day with the increased width" said Mr. Linden
thai yesterday. The plan is worse than useless.
1t would be necessary TO take out the floor
beams, 10 lengthen and strengthen them, and
all this work would cost great deal of money.
II would not solve the problem for relieving the
congestion, and therefore cannot be considered"
The absence Of the Fifth-aye. trolley cars on
the bridge yesterday failed 20 cause any diminu-
ton in the crush at the Manhattan terminal
late in the afternoon. People who were accus-
toned to taking the Fifth-ave. cars boarded
Seventh and Thrd-ave. cars, which run two
blocks either side of the Fifth-ave. line. At
the ferries the Fifth-ave. cars did little bust
ness The largest number that any car of this
line took away from the Fulton Ferry was eight
passengers, and many started with only two or
three. There a good deal OF Tuning and
swearing at the Manhattan terminal OF the
bridge because of the absence OF these cars
Many persons were not aware OF the order 10
discontinue running them across the bridge
and waited impatiently for a Fifth-ave car TO
swing into the terminal.
You can't compel people to go where they
don't want to CO." declared OF the policemen
duty at the Manhattan terminal. They won't
take the Fifth-aVe. elevated road because of
climbing the stairs and the series of transfers
They won't take the ferries, because it's long
walk down there"