The sun., 1904-12-17
ciTY TRANSFORMATION.
New York Must Prepare 20 Build Far
More Extensive Rapid Transit system.

More Extensive Rapid Transh SYSTEM
To TEE EDITOR or THE SuH-Sr' In
four Of the five boroughs Of New York there
are extensive tracts Of land now unused for
residential purposes and Of comparatively
small value because Of the lack OF trans
portation lines connecting them with Man
haitian and the thiol1ly settled wards OF
Brooklyn.
For years the surplus population OF these
two great boroughs, instead OF taking up
the land within the city boundaries. has
been driven TO towns In New jersey Con-
neoticut and westchester county. because
Of the impossibility Of getting quickly and
comfortably from Staten Island, Queens.
and the outlying parts OF Brooklyn and The
Bronx to the business centres Of the com"
munity. The new transportation lines now
building In New York hold small promise OF
improved conditions for these neglected
territories. and. at the Same time, the tun.
nels under the North River will unques-
tionably accelerate the movement OF resi-
dents Of New York to New jersey.
The loss OF population and taxable wealth
which New York has suffered because the
city could not accommodate all those who
wished TO live In 1t Is impossible to compute.
1t amounts to many hundreds OF millions OF
dollars In the aggregate, and It's total 10
growing enormously each year. The city
has forced thousands Of men who work In ft
by day to house themselves outside, by
negleoting to provide facilities for them
within its corporate limits.
The new subway opens for settlement
only O small section Of new territory. Its
Brooklyn extension will serve chiefly TO
relieve intolerable conditions In districts
long ago thickly settled. The only pro-
jected transportation hne which promises
to benefit hitherto neglected section Of the
city Is the Pennsylvania tunnel to Long
Island City. There is at present nothing In
sight designed to open for settlement the
great plots OF land within the city on which
its increasing population must find homes
IL they are to live within 1t.
1t should be the object Of the municipality
to develop for residential purposes the now
unoccupied land within its own bounds.
To do this would require the establishment
OF a transportation system. combining ex-
press and local services, connecting the
most distant sections Of the city with the
Borough OF Manhattan. No surface rail-
ways can ever meet the requirements Of the
situation. Elevated railways might do 1t,
but q system Of tunnels. combined with
surface roads acting as feeders. would seem
to be the most practical. The surface roads,
radiating from the express stations Of the
tunnels, would bring the passengers to the
trunk lines. By these passengers would
be taken speedily to the centre Of the city.
An enlightened and far seeing public policy
would plan the building Of these lines i'm
mediately and carry on the work with the
utmost possible speed. 90.
At present nothing is being done beyond
efforts to move more rapidly and more COM
fortably than heretofore the present popu-
lation OF the city. New Jersey is building
up its fortunes because New York city re-
fuses to provide for its own people. Except
within a limited area, the transportation
facilities OF this city are little better than
they were ten years ago. Annually great
number OF men anxious to live in New York
are forced to 60 elsewhere. To keep this
population in the city should be the effort
OF the municipality; and; to accomplish
1t every borough and every part Of every
borough should be brought into easy COM
municat;on with the City He'll. The trans
portahon lines of the future should tap new
territory and aid in upbuilding it, as well
as in moving the persons already resident
In New York. CITIZEN.
BBooKLYN. Dec. 10.