New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
THE PLAGUE OF TERMINALS.

One point IN the interesting and important
report Of the Municipal Art Society On rapid
transit cannot be too much empha sized. II
has hitherto been frequently discussed by The
Tribune, and until officials pay heed to
IT they can never reach any satisfactory solu-
hcn Of the transportation problem. Mr.. Tom
kins and his associates put forth the decla-
ration, This committee believes there should
be no distincdvely bridge terminals" and
give sound and convincing reasons for that
opinion.
Until the Brooklyn extension OF the subway
was projected all the efforts for the improve
rnent OF interborough transit at the lower end
Of the city, where the greatest congestion arises.
have been n just the opposite direction, with
the result of adding 10 the difficulties and dis
comforts OF travel. For years engineers have
been planning terminals instead Of transpor-
tation. Every improvement on the Brooklyn
Bridge designed TO relieve the intoerable crush
has merely made IL worse by drawing new
crowds from the ferries 10 the small area at
the Manhattan entrance, where the space was
inadequate for the proper accommodation OF
the existing traffic. The Williamsburg Bridge
has merely repeated the old error. and the Man
haitian Bridge is being projected in the same
blind fashion. The schemes for bridge cOnnec-
tons are founded on dim realization Of the
Tact that circuit for cars is better than sew
more for the convenience Of the railroads de-
string to bring cars from Brooklyn and get
them back than to take the people where they
want TO 60 The Municipal Art Society COM
mittee says;
There has never been time when any such
numbers wanted finally TO stop at the Bridge
entrance or primarily 10 start therefrom as 10
have made eny crush there. On the contrary,
this crush has been occasioned by those who
had started Cor who would have preferred TO
START from some other point, or by those who
had no occasion TO leave the cars at the present
Bridge entrance (preferring to be carried
more nearly TO where they did want TO stop.
bling of private franchise corporations well
united to head off any solution by municipal
operation. but mutually so Jealous that they
could not agree connections. and ordered
their passengers all OUT at Park Row.
II is therefore proposed that the bridge en-
frances as terminals be abolished and convert
ed into way stations for car lines entering a
subway from the Brooklyn Bridge and making
u circuit through Reade, West, Liberty and
Nassau SITS. and from the Williamsburg Bridge
making circuit up to Christopher and West
sfs. and back through Canal-st, tapping the
Manhattan Bridge. In this way. much better
than by mere bridge connections the crowds
could be distributed and gathered without the
congestion in one place whiAy causes most of
the present trouble.
This plan recognizes the Limitations put upon
the city By corporation rivelries. II, however.
the companies could get together for suitable
traffic arrangement, the abolition could be car
Red sttll further. The ending Of the Manhat-
tan and Brooklyn elevated systems one against
the other, IN Park Row is a barbarisn It IS
g eenssieM a. t6s difference "a railroad gauge