New-York tribune., 1905-02-20
LOUD CALL FOR LOOP.
Continued from first page.

tions are now possible by reason of the demon
strated success OF cross river tunnelling and
subway construction. its recommendations in
the main offer the only satisfactory quick solu-
ton of the bridge problem
In his letter Mr.. Gibbs refers to proposition
presented TO him by President Winter for sub
way from the Manhattan end of the Williams
burg Bridge to Maiden Lane and then easterly
under the river by tunnel to Tilary and Fulton
sts., connecting with the present elevated struct-
ure there Thus it was proposed to make a loop in
Manhattan for the Brooklyn elevated railroads
without the of an elevated structure. MI
Gibbs does not approve Of the proposition and
then takes up the discussion of an alternative
plan for bridge relief In this connection he
says: Expenditures for bridges cannot be right
ly considered complete when the structures are
confined TO the river spans. and the short.
heavy grade approaches TO the same, terminal
ing at point only in congested street areas.
They legitimately require approaches from more
than one point, and team and passenger inlets
should never be massed exists at present
The logical approach is distributed one and
| as passenger tracks need not be at the street
level the approach should be in the shape Of an
elevated structure This will not necessarily
be of an unsightly character. nor need it be
wholly in the streets. The combination of a
! bridge at high level and distributing terminal
under ground is not a logical solution, especial
! IL for the topogra phcal conditions of Manhat-
tan Island.
! EFFECT OF NEW TRANSIT FACILITIES
! I'm considering the conditions at the old
/ Brooklyn Bridge it should be borne in mind
that this bridge has constituted the only
! through transportation route between Manhat-
tan and Brooklyn. We are rapidly approaching
the time. however. when several other routes
viii be available, the Williamsburg Bridge. the
! E-oc IT
| the Manhattan and Biackwell's Island bridges
the Pennsylvania Companys tunnels and others
projected. 1t would seem that with reasonable
| care in planning for diversion OF travel on the
| Brooklyn side. and by proper elevated distrlo-
utirg terminals for the three bridges, we ought
! to be within measurable distance OF rehe1' not
| withstanding the growing population MT
| Gibbs summarizes his conclusions as follows;
Quick solution of the bridge problem is need
ed and this can be had only by the construction
OF elevated loops.
Permanent relief can be had only by null
tiplication of cross-river transit lines.
All terminals should be distributed" bridge
crossings bv elevated structures, tunnel cross
ings and subways.
A subway terminal for bridges is irrational;
1t is neither good railway proposition nor
does 1t offer the requisite fexibity or capacity
for handling traffic
r R 7.
President Edwin ". Winter has announced
that the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company
stands ready to lease the proposed loop on the
basis of Az per cent of the total cost, subject
to the conditions applying under the rapid
| transit laws. In my Judgment" says the
| president lit is the only thing approximatins
a cure for the evils now apparent. Other
schemes would be merely palliative If the loop
| were constructed the movement of business
would not be limited by terminal facilities. as
| is the case now. 1t is axiom in transporta-
| ton that In order to get perfect service you
want to find the weak point in the system. I'm
doubtedly that point now lies at the Manhat-
tan end of the bridges The loop would need
to have four tracks for a part Of the way, at
least Whether the original plan Of Messrs.
| Boiler Prout and Winery should be adopted
| under present conditions. is a question yet TO
| be determined -.e .,..
That the company does not intend to delay
| the attainment of the loop by limiting the ex
penditures TO any fixed amount IS shown by
! the following statement OF President Winter,
| made to the Rapid Transit Commission: while
| no exact sum can now be fixed which will rep
resen, the total cost-indeed an effort to
so fix sum would probably tend to enhance
| land damages-it is our duty to give due weight
| to this important feature Of the question New
| ertheless the railroad company does not intend
| to dispute at this point over the maximum cost,
for are anxious to cooperate with your
| commission in the solution of problem which
| is important alike to the public and to the
company"
Regarding the time it would take get the
! loop in operation, should the Rapid Transit
Commission agree to its construction, President
! Winter says so far s the construction and
| equipment 60 it ought to be in operation in
| side Of year Any delay beyond that time
| would be due to the formallties of the various
city departments in undertaking such work"
TO CARRY 10000 PEOPLE AN HOUR.
In order that the public might understand
would be in transporting passengers across the
bridges. Dow s. Smith. general superintendent
Of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit was asked TO
make a statement regarding that feature. The
figures given. as he took care to explain are. of
course. only approximate estimates, as the exact
capacity of the loop to a certain extent will de-
pend on the character of the plans that may be
decided on. He says:
will be able 10 carry across both bridges between
Brooklyn and Manhattan about 10000 passengers
ent facilities. lhat Is conservative estimate, ana
I figure hundred passengers to car, where
car By ioadine the cars at the present rate we
would be able TO carry $4,000 passengers an hour.
forty second headway in each direction. This
, wovld mean that from any given point a tram
would leave for Brooklyn every twenty seconds.
seven car trains and a hundred passenger TO each
car we v,.iij move u 500 persons a minute or i26
c01 an hour. our platforms in BROOKLYN would OF
trains we would also be justified in adding tracks
in Brooklyn ard running express trains on the va
A. 70 schedules and movements Of trains there