New-York tribune., 1902-02-06
ANOTHER TROLLEY GRAB.

We now have fine sequel to the recent and
unlamented scheme for crowdng more traffic
upon the already Overcrowded Brooklyn Bridge
by putting up a network Of elevated road ap-
proaches at the Manhattan end of that abused
structure. The present plan Is to turn over the
Plaza and Liberty-st., at the Brooklyn end to
the trolley roads. What good that would do to
the public or to the trolley company is not
apparent That It would in the slightest de-
gree relieve the pressure upon the bridge is
not for a moment to be supposed. When you
are trying to force a two-inch stream through
one-inch pipe you cannot lessen the pressure
upon the pipe by enlarging the funnel at the
entrance to 1t.
The illogical nature Of the proposal is obvious
at glance. There is just one single track i'm
each direction on the bridge for the use of the
trolley cars. along which they must pass in
single file. But when they get TO the Brooklyn
end and leave the bridge there are no fewer
than four streets given up TO them. 1t is simply
preposterOus 10 say that those four streets can
not give exit TO the cars rapidly as the latter
can pass over the single street of the bridge
1t Is equally absurd 10 say that those four
streets cannot give access to the bridge from
Brooklyn TO as many cars as the one street of
the bridge can convey to Manhattans Talk
about congestion in those streets is idle How
can one narrow street pour enough traffic into
four wide ones to congest them all? How can
one narrow street accommodate the traffic
which four wide ones pour into It, if the four
be congested? 1t Is the bridge, not on the
Brooklyn streets, that there is congestion and
that there is need of relief.
1t should be borne in mind moreover that
other vehicles really do have a few rights In
this world besides trolley cars All the streets
giving nnOrOarh and -
bridge, save one, now occupied by the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company with trolley
roads, and some of them with elevated roads to
boot so that ordinary vehicular traffic upon
them is unpleasant inconvenent and actually
dangerous. The one street which remains open
is Liberty-st, and that Is the one which the
trolley company now proposes TO grab and 10
cover with a gridirOn of tracks and a network
of wires. That done the bridge would be prac-
tically barred against carriages and wagons OK
cept under peril No doubt the trolley people
would like to bar absolutely all traffic from the
bridge save that in their cars Their present
proposal would greatly further such an am
bition. But really that is not what the bridge
was built for. 1t was intended. when this CITY
spent nearly a score of million dollars for it.
that the bridge should he 4 highway for all
sorts oe traffic.
One more point is 10 be observed The bridge
Plaza" was partly purchased by the CITY from
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. or from
the Brooklyn Heights Company, which means
the same thing. Now that company wants II
back again. VIII it refund the purchase money
which the city paid to It? Or having sold the
thing and got big price for il. does it now ex-
pect TO get it back again for nothing? TruIv
the latter would be a fine example of eating a
cake and having II, tool