New-York tribune., 1906-11-17
T0REL[EVE THE TUNNEL
AID FOR PARK AVENUE.
Y. 7. c. Men Sag 53d Street Sub
zcay Would S0IUe Problem.

Officials Of the New York Central Railroad
have thought of a plan which. If approved by
the proper officials. will enable the company to
the subway they are compelled by law 20
build on the West Side for relieving the conges-
ton Of passenger traffic in the Park avenue
tunnel This plan provides for a subway con-
nection between the subway which must be
built for their tracks in Eleventh avenue and
the Grand Central Station yards. 1t has been
suggested that such a two track connection
could be built through ODD street which would
bring trains into the Grand Central Station
yards just at the mouth of the Park avenue
tunnel
With such g connection the traffic managers
Of the New York Central could bring several Of
their trains Of the Hudson River Division into
the station by sending them down the banks Of
the Hudson River from Spuyten Duyvil and
through the West Side subway to sd street,
where they would be carried through the cross
town subway to the Grand Central Station
This would unQuestonably make q great differ
ence in the ease of handling traffic Then, in
case there was any accident in the Park ave
nue. tunnel. all the trains of the Hudson River
Division could be brought in by way of the
West Side
Ira A Place. counsel for the New York Cen
traI, said yesterday:
Under the law providing for the subway for
our freight tracks in Eleventh avenue, the chief
engineer Of the Rapid Transit Commission is
made responsible for the plans of the improve
ment all the way in from SpUyten Duyvil. We
told Chief Engineer Rice that all our infOrna-
ton and our staff here were at his disposal If
he needed any assistance. We have had fire.
quent consultations with Mr Rice in regard TO
these plans. One Of the plans evolved by US
was the one which includes the SD street con-
nection- We understand that he sees no OBJ
lection to it have not yet seen a copy Of the
report Mr.. Rice has made on the subject but as
reported in the papers it seems to me TO be the
result Of most careful and intelligent COnsid-
Grafton of the subject.
Our desire for this SD street connecting sub
way is that We may relieve the situation in the
Park avenue tunnel We think we have planned
in our reconstruction of the Grand Central Sta
ton and yards ample terminal facilities for
some time to come. But our great concern is
the way we are limited by having only four
tracks through the tunnel. We used TO run
only four hundred trains day through the tun-
mel and now we are operating more than six
hundred. The situation is rapidly growing be
yond the power OF the Park avenue tunnel TO
cope with It.
Mr.. Place said he thought a two-track subway
through sd street would relieve the situation
sufficiently. although four tracks IN such a sub
way would be advantageous. But the street is
tracks beneath it.
Regarding the suggestion that possibly the
New York Central. with such a connection,
would want to compete with the Interborough
for some OF the outlying suburban passenger
business, Mr.. Place said:
The New York Central Is a trunk line, and
the more Of the suburban business that can be
handled by the InterbOrough or any other COM
pany the better It viii suit We do a consid-
cradle suburban business now, but 1t Is simply
because have 10.
If we build the $50 street connection we shall
run some Of our fastest trains into the Grand
Central Station by that route, probably and It
will be used much for through traffic as for
suburban traffic, although of course that would
be a matter TO be settled by the traffic mana gers
after the route had been completed.
Mr.. Place said he could give no idea OF when
such a route could be completed so as to relieve
the Park avenue tunnel as such an enterprise
involved SO many different considerations.