New-York tribune., 1902-05-08
R. T. BOARD LOOKS TO TUNNELS
LIKELY TO STOP WORK ON THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE
PRESENT STRUCTURE EXPENSIVE


ford the same grade the Manhattan ap-
proach. For example, there is higher ground
at Sands-st. Brooklyn. than at the Manhattan
terminal at the Bowery and Canal-st. YET the
Brooklyn approach is carried nearly half a
mile beyond Sands-st., to the Junction OF Ill
ton-st and De Kalb-aYe. Brooklyn Where II IS
proposed to lay out costly plaza. which Will
permit the Kings County and F1fth Avenue
elevated lines, and the six or more surface hhes
which meet at this point TO switch to the
raised tracks Of this viaduct
1t is thus for the purpose of checking the eX-
traVagant waste of the City's money, which, II
put into the construction of the Manhattan
Bridge would be eventually turned over TO a
private corporation. that the RAPID transit
Commission is considering two plans for solV-
ing the problem of transit between Manhattan
and Brooklyn. Either one Will make necessary
a halt of work the bridge and The construc-
tiOn instead of a number of tunnels. The com
mission has ascertaned that the cost Of a
double track tunnel is about S30OoWo. one
plan. then, would he to have the city authorize
bonds for the construction of these tunnels, on
the same conditions that the rapid transit sub
way is now being built. According to TINS
scheme the contractor would build a tunnel
with the aid OF the Citys credit. and then pay
back out Of the proceeds of the road enough
to redeem the bonds and pay their interest
At the end of a certain number of years the
property would revert to the city, TO be oper-
ated by the municipality or leased to an oper-
ating company.
TO LET PRIVATE CORPORATIONS BUILD,
The second plan. which appears 10 be win
mission than the first is that the city permit
a private corporation TO build the tunnels and
pay the city certain percentage of the net
profits. This percentage would be comparative
~ low the first few years, but would increase
afterward so that at the end OF forty or fifty
years the city would be receiving as much as If
1t owned the road and leased it to operating
company. Under this plan the city would not
have TO enCrOach on its debt limit.
If four tunnels built according 10 either
of these plans, the city would not be out a
single cent. Instead Of one more artery of
travel between Manhattan and Brooklyn it
would have four more. Practically no land
would be wiped off the tax map inasmuch as
the only land that is required for a tunnel IS
where the tube comes to the surface, and If
each tunnel made to connect with the
rapid transit system. as il probably would be
the only land necessary would be for plat
forms and loops by which direct connection
FOR AN ADEQUATE RAPID TRANSIT
SYSTEM
The Rapid Transit Board. according TO the be-
lief Of some of its members. will not only strive
to prevent the waste Of the citys money on
another $4,000 600 or SO. 900 600 bridge which
would retard other city improvements inde1-
nitely. but il is also striving to hit a plan
by which the city may authorize the immediate
completion of adequate interbOrough rapid
transit system, which would not even encToach
the city's debt limit
Some mention may be made of the tunnel
project at the meeting Of the commission to-
day although the board intends to study still
further into the subject before committing itself
TO any one plan.