New-York tribune., 1906-06-30
NEW SUBWAY PLANS
Bids on Fire Routes May Be Called
for This Year.

Barring unforeseen obstacles the Rapid Transit
Commission will advertise for bids for the building
of subways in Lexington. Third. Seventh and
Eighth avenues, Manhattan. and In Fourth avenue,
Brooklyn on or before January next. The various
commissions appointed by the court have reported
favorably nine of the eleven thus far
sidered. The Appellate Division has adjourned for
the summer but it is assumed by the Rapid Transit
Commission that before adjournment the court
passed the greater number of these reports. and
that the final approval will reach the commission
within week.
AS soon as that approval is given. Chief Engineer
Rice will assign large force of engineers TO the
preparation of plans for the principal routes The
surveys have already been made The plans can
not be begun till the order is given by the commits
sion. and the commission cannot act until the Ap-
pellate Division approves the reports the various
routes.
Chief Engineer Rice says il will take just about
three months prepare the plans for the main line
tunnels Assuming that the minor formalties are
of the way by August l. the plans and specifca-
ttons should be complete by November I. The ad-
vertisng for bids will take about sixty days. bring
ing the awarding of the first large contracts up to
about the first of next year.
That delays are likely is shown by the made
by clients OF Martin ". LittIeton who have en-
Joined the city from proceeding further with the
Third avenue route. Mr.. Ittleton's clients allege
that the citys financial condition will not permit OF
its building subways. Mayor Mcclellan holds that
the city has money enough TO go ahead with it's
subway plans. Unless the LittIeton action is
dropped there is reason TO believe that great deal
of time will be lost by trying injunction suits What
was done by Mr.. Littleton in Third avenue could be
done by others less reasonable grounds In other
parts of the city.
Chief Engineer Rice believes that the next sub
ways will be built in four years from the time they
are actually begun.
The Rapid Transit Commission assumes that
there will be several bidders IL was learned yes
terday that many inquiries have been made con-
cerning the progress of the plans. and OF the
inquiries have been of a nature to warrant the
belief that powerful financial interests are ready
TO submit bids The Belmont interests doubtless
will bid for the Lexington avenue route as that
will be natural feeder to the present system.
Counting the increased cost Of labor and the dif-
ference in method in building future subways II is
estimated that each of the new four track routes
from the Battery TO The Bronx will COST roughly
speaking. S70,00O0o The present subway cost about
s430o0oo TO build and about s2S 100000 to equip ac
cording TO Mr.. Belmont's figuring. The Belmont
system is four track all the way. The city
has debt mourning margin OF than 500 900
according TO Mayor Mcclellan, and of less than
s6oo9oO00. according to Controller Metz Taking the
outside figure. IL is difficult TO how the city can
build more than one four track subway at a time
although bids for more than one could be adver-
tised.