New-York tribune., 1902-12-10
HIGH BRIDGE FOR THE TRoLLEYs.
Ex-Judge Davenport Says Its Use Would
Interfere Least With Pedestrians
and Drivers

Ex-Judge James P. Davenport. who mas rep
resented several Improvement ASSOCIATIONS ana
some of the pleasure drivers in protecting the
entrances to the Speedway and some OF the ave-
nues in the upper part of the city whlch nave
not been taken possession or py Ihe foheS
companies appeared before the Board OF hsl-
mate last Friday and strongly advocated the
adoption of the report of Mr. Mclean Con-
trolier Grout's engineer. fixing an annual
rental of $4,000 for the use Of each OF the
main uptown bridges over the Harlem. 10 De
paid by the trolley companies. Expressing TIE
sentiments Of many of those interested III pre-
serving the bridges from the encroachment OF
the trolley companies. ex-Judge Davenport saiu
yesterday to a Tribune reporter;
Mr. MAean's estimate was based paruy
,,non tba cost of the erection of bridges for the
exclusive use of the trolley cars. CONSIDERED
from another point of view the estimate would oe
equally fair Each of the bridges, win ltS
approaches, cost considerably over Sl'Vooo,
They were designed for the use of pedestrians
Measure drivers and of trucks and other We
hicIes The construction of double track troll
ley line across Central Bridge, for instance
would obstruct its use for vehicles. ana prac-
tically destroy its usefulness FOR pleasure drlV-
ing There would be no roadway LETT oeS-ue
the tracks and the obstruction would there-
fore be much greater than in the case OF the
Brooklyn Bridge The occupancy OF the Whole
roadway would not be allowed in any city
street. and Central Bridge and its approaches
are of so great length that the drivers OF vehl-
cles would be greatly inconvenienced. An es
innate of the loss to the public of one-third OF
the interest on the cost of the erection OF the
bridge added TO the yearly expense OF main
tenance. which amounts to from S3oooO to s4o-
GOG year. would not be too great.
"One Of the main uses of the uptown bridges
is that of pedestrians on holidays and Sundays
If trolley cars interrupted the usual traIlc
across Washington and Central bridges the
number Of these pedestrians would be greatly
reduced, and the use Of the structure for hon-
day pleasure seekers would be almost entirely
ia ken away. The same is largely true or the
One-hundred- and -ffty-fifth-st viaduct The coSt
of the structure was borne IN part pS lHe
nronertv owners and they would receive no
compensation for the injury Whlch the NldnuCb
would suffer.
possibility Of substituting some specially CON
structed bridge for the trolley cars near W ash-
ington Bridge, on account OF the expense pS - ~
volved. It has, however, been suggested that
High Bridge. which is scarcely used at all by the
public at present, might be made into a uSeIul
trolley bridge by placing some speclaI FORM
of construction on top of the present arches
High Bridge is strongly constructed, ana would
easily bear some additional weight Ihere are
steep banks at each end Of High Bridge, Dut
these could easily be surmounted by trolleE
cars running diagonally. as to reach the
higher level the entrances 10 washington
Bridge or at some point at an equal distance
TO the south.
1.-The Grand Concourse, soon to be built at
great expense to the city, can be reacneu only
from Mania ttan by vehicles crossing these up
town bridges some of which should be pre-
served. Washington Bridge is one of the most
beautiful structures in the city, and its present
use is almost entirely by pleasure seekers. max
ing it more like q parkway than a city street:
Communication by trolley in the upper part OF
the CITY is necessary but there seems to be no
reason why the trolley roads should not ne
obliged to build bridges, as did the Manhattan
and the New-York and Northern Railway COM
panies.
The report of MI Mclean set forth more
Justly than almost any other document pre-
sented by a public official the subject the
true basis on which the compensation should De
fixed for the use by surface cars OF great eX-
pensive structures, such Washington Bridge,
Central Bridge, the -hundred-and-forty-
Street Bridge ard the -hundred-and-hfty-
hfth-st. viaduct. and his consideration or the
public interests should be universally COM
p7au lad