Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-28
LONDON STREET MAKING.
Great Cities Find New Thoroughfares
Necessary to Traffic.

From the New York Tribune.
The suggestion has at times been made
that travel north and south on Manhattan
Island-and 1t is in those directions that
the tide chiefly flows and doubtless will
continue to downright be greatly facili-
tated by the opening of several new long-
tudinal avenues on the west side. There
are already on the east side between regu-
larry numbered avenues, two such extra
thoroughfares which have for many years
been invaluable as routes Of travel, besides,
of course. affording fine frontages for
places of residence and business. On ac-
count of the proximity of Broadway to 9th
and 9th avenues for a considerable dis
lance, an intermediate avenue between
them may not be needed, and indeed might
not be practicable. But one between 9th
and It'll, and another between 9TH and Sth
avenues, might prove serviceable as
Madison and Lexington avenues are at the
other side of the city.
The ready objection will be made that the
cost of such creations would be prohibitive.
We do not think so. The cost would doubt
less be very large. But even II the gross
cost were the net cost. which of course 1t
would not be, nor anything like 1t, 1t would
scarcely be too large for the benefits 1t
would confer upon the city. Subways will,
1t Is true, greatly Increase the carrying ca
pacity of our streets, and the substitution
of motor cars for horse drawn vehicles will
permit q greater traffic upon the surface.
Nevertheless IL is an unfailing rule that
the increase Of facilities increases use. The
building of elevated railroads did not much,
If at all, diminish the patronage of the sur
face roads, and the opening of the subway
has not made the crowding materially less
On the surface and elevated lines. With all
possible Improvement In traffic conditions,
therefore, congestion of our main thorough
fares is likely to continue.
Light upon the question Of cost. or of net
as compared with gross cost Is afforded
by the example of London. That capital
has just completed a fine new street, cut
right through the most congested heart of
the city, from The Strand to Holborn. 1t
Is three-Quarters OF a mile long and has
the generous width of 300 feet. 1t was
made primarily for the sake of facilitating
traffic, for which purpose 1t will be of ines
for that purpose alone 1t would be worth
the $50, 900, 900 1t has cost. However, II is
estimated that no less than 20000 600, or
thirds the total cost, will be returned
to the municipality through the resale Of
building sites fronting upon the new ave-
nue. In like manner a large proportion of
the cost Of the suggested street creations
in New York would doubtless be repaid to
the city through assessments the enor-
mously increased value Of property along
the new avenues.
Much would depend, 1t must be confessed,
upon New York's ability to do such work
as honestly, economically and expeditiously
as London That 1t ought to do so is inds-
putable That II would do may be
doubted. This new London street has been
completed in six years. But there Is Elm
stretching down the curtain, quick!