New-York tribune., 1905-02-05
NEW-YORK COMJlUTERS.
Not So Many IN Proportion to Popu-
LatiOn as Those of Other Cities.

One reason. perhaps why the New-Yorl< CON-
nuter must stand for so many iokes why -
must answer. as soon feT snow fakes
ornsh against his Office window. such questions
az, What time tomorrow afternoon VIII vou
dig yourself out2' or Have YOU borzht thai
team OF reindeer yet2" is because he has com
parattvely few supporters. He is In the minor
ity. In no large city in the country. with ths
exception Of Philadelphia are there SO few com
muters IN proportion to it's size as fu Nesv-Torlz
II 10 estimated that OF the day population OF tho
city only one IN twenty-five goes beyond fra
boundaries at night According TO the reports
OF railroad, ferry and trolley ,oup-2ias. a5ou-
4oOcVO persons travel TO and from ths city
every work day, Or about 50Gol0l5 year. OF
these 10000 daily use the steam trains. 5000
tne FERRIES to and from Jersey Cl-y. E0boksu
and Weehawken. and 5000 20 by trolley.
Boston, for its size, has three times as many
commuters as New-yCrk, and It is also q fact
that the suburbanite in the Hub CITY hears
far fewer stories told AZ his expense Jhan the
daily freQuenter' OF Gotham. The New-Haven
road carries goodly number OF commuters az
either end OF its line but it carries more ii and
out Of Boston than in and out Of New-yora.
What might well be called the anlipodes os
the New-YOrk commuter is the san Francisco
commute-. In the City OF the Golden Gate tha
suhurbanits laughs at the stay at homes as
much as they laugh at his brother AT this side
OF the continent No city. in proportion 10 the
number OF its population. has so many cornrnu-
tiers as San Francisco. Approximately, one out
Of eight San FranCiscans leaves town at night
Most OF them live in Oakland, across the bay
Others travel as far as San Jose. in the heart
OF the beautiful Santa Clara Valley. fifty miles
away. The Southern Pacific Railroad carries
100000 year. or 60OOo each work day. IN and
out OF San Francisco. This is more tnan one
third many carried BY a. the rail-
roads and ferries entering New-YoTk Next 20
the California metropolis IN its percentage OF
commuters comes Boston Chicago ranks about
Carries about 100000 people a year. or 50.00I
each work day, in and out OF its terminal
OF the 50OOOOO0 suburbaniCes VINO travel 70
and from New-YOrk< daily IN q year, about 80
100000 are Jerseyites. OF these 22.00J,UJ0 srs
handled by the railroads, whereas ia rest uss
the ferries and the connecting lines or sLres-
railroads. The Lackawauna Railroad carries
11,3O0.OOO: the Penusylvaula- $3.50 600, the Jer
sey Central, S.150,UOo. and the Erie G.00U0Uo.
There are only four other roads I'm Lna CCu1rrv
which handle more commuters than the Lacks-
wanna and these are in other parts Of the CoUn-
try. The Lackawan0a commuters live as ra~
out as MorristOwn tlirty miles from Ins HUd-
In the summer this road also brings ID
commuters from as far as the Lake Hopalcons
region. The Erie covers vide co1n--uLl--S
district. and has lines which extend oUt hae
the ribs OF a fan The PeLlsy lva--a traverse@
a country which has not a great CCnmurlDE
up OF through passengers Tbe Jersey Central
handles many commuters from towns cut as far
q Plaindeld, but its traffic, fC- the most part
Is bound TO and from points outside the subur-
pan zone. The Newton Central and the New
Haven Railroad carry 10 and from the Grand
Central Station about l2UvtOUJ commuters
year The New-York Central win the Wes
Shore does an annual cour1uti15 business o.
100000 passengers. The Central expects 90
enlarge It's suburban traffic with the comp elton
OF it's present improvements tEa building or q
new terminal and the substitution or electricity
for steam. The Long Island Railroad carries
about $4,000 suburbanites in & year. its sum
mar business being more than double that oI
the winter.