New-York tribune., 1905-02-20
THE pR0RLEM SOLVED.


Cogent arguments are presented on o--o5 ano~
page In support of the piar-wiaeN app-o ,,,+
hoth Inv official opinion and public sentil
Co. oo,,,ootin,r tho RrooSIyn and Williamsburg
hridoas hv an elevated railroad loop, WHICH III
dino time would include the Manhattan brluse
aIso in the scheme of uninterrupted coIlinui'io"
ton over the East River. 1t is DO eAass az.
TO saw that the conditions to when vas. i"n.O
is subjected chiefly because OF the lnaueI %
facilities on this side, are 1ntoleraole' Ane'
have been borne heretofore with constantly III
creasing difficulty, but the pupnc VIII no: -
sent to bear them much longer Tney Ine'itaply
grow worse from day to day, and remedy must
be appIied at the earliest possible moment
The remedy proposed, after long consluerauoh
of all the elements of the problem, is uhques
tionabIy feasible, it is fully approved Dy expert
authority. Ii commends itself at once to the gem
eral understanding, and the Brooklyn haplu
Transit Company is ready TO apply II on 1alr
terms Some members of the haplu IrdhsII
Commission in whose hands the power lies, are
known to be favorable, and it is believed that
tbe board is in mood to be convinced of the
pre-eminent merits of the project. The company
has made known its desire to lease and operate
n connecting elevated railroad loop by means or
which cars could be run continuously III poln
directions over the bridges, and it will not nag
gle over the cost of construction. 1t will, In
short. pay a reasonable interest on the amount
of the investment, so that the bonds will be no
burden on the municipality. The work might
be begun at once and completed. it is thought,
within year so that there lies before the COM
munity fair prospect Of quick relief from the
oppressive and disgraceful evils of which inces-
SAINT complaint has so long been made in vain.
Many of the uncounted plans for relieving the
congestion at the Manhattan end of the Brook
lyn Bridge have been based on the false hypothe-
sis that 1t ought to be and must continue to be
a terminal. The precise contrary is the fact, and
no scheme of Improvement is worth moments
consideration which does not start with the
premise that distribution, not concentration, OF
traffic is the only solution Of the problem. An
elevated railroad loop would satisfy that orig
inaI and essential requirement 1t would take
I'D and set down passengers at several different
points, and wholly obviate the necessity OF
switching cars from one track TO another in
narrow and crowded space They would be in
continuous circulation and never in each others
way. An express as well as accommodation
service is contemplated, and every car to and
from Brooklyn in either direction would be a
through car.
There is just objection to any unnecessary ex-
tension Of the elevated system since the ad-
vantages Of underground transportation have
been established But it is idle TO talk of sub
way connection between the bridges in the face
of obstacles which are insuperable The differ
ence in level is too great, and the cars of the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company would not be
permitted to run beneath the surface. 1t is q
question, therefore, of accepting or refusing the
only available method Of securing permanent
relief from present conditions. Two routes are
suggested-one through Centre-st and the other
further east. The former seems preferable on
many accounts, but chiefly because of its rela-
tons to the existing subway and its proximity
to Broadway. The objection is made that an
elevated railroad in Centre-st. would mar the
looks of the fine new Hall Of Records, but it is
believed that disadvantage would be much less
serious than many suppose. 1t would, indeed,
be Obviated altogether if the loop were carried
through a municipal building devoted in part
to railroad purposes, such as the Board of Esti-
mate and AppOrtionment has been disposed to
authorize. One incidental consideration is par
ticularly worthy Of attentionz-we should hear no
more Of a terminal extension thrusting its ugly
length far into the City Hall Park.
We invite careful perusal of the article in
which the essential facts and numerous compe-
tent opinions relating to this project are set
forth this morning. They will be found to sus-
tain fast growing public demand which we be-
lieve it will soon be impossible to resist