The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
IN WRSTCHESTER COUNTY.
RAILWAY BETTERMENTS BRING
ON A BOOM IN REALITY
Tho Sound, Hudson River and Inland Sub.
urbs Growing Rapidly, With white
Plains, Mount Vernon, YonkeRs ana
h New Rochelle as tho Boom Centres.

The suburban territory north Of the city
Ii far less populous than the suburban
area west Of the Hudson. The New Haven
and Hartford and the New York Central,
including its leased lines, carry some $1,000
commuters to New York each weekday
morning, as against 5000 carried by the
New Jersey railroads. These figures
apply only to steam roads. 1t Is impossible
to estimate the number OF trolley COM
muters. However, the suburban trolley
traffic in the city's northern environs lis
unlmportant, compared with that on It's
western border.
One Of the chief reasons for the slow
suburban development of Westchester
county in the past has been the discomfort
Of travel on the railways entering the Grand
Central Station. The majority OF com
muters have preferred the North River
ferries to the Park avenue tunnel. How
ever, the Objectionable features OF tunnel
transportatiS will be removed by the
substitution Of electricity for steam as
motive power.
The improvements under way on che
railroads converging at the Grand Central
Station will be completed before the Penn
s~ylvania and McAdoo unnel terminals
can be made ready for use. 1t 10 believed,
consequently, hat the Westchester suburbs
will show a far more rapid progress in the
next year or two than those west Of the
Hudson River.
The New York Central will put electric
trains in operation or its Hudson River
division as far as High Bridge and on its
Harlem division as far as Wakefield about
September /. By that time also electric
transportation will probably be inaugurated
on the New Haven and Hartford.
The terminal Of the electric service on the
Hudpon River division is at Croton; that on
the Harlem division is at White Plains.
So far as electrical equipment is concerned
the new transportation might be extende d
in September to both these terminals.
Beyond the city line, however, the work
Of removing grade crossings has been re-
tarded by a dispute as to how the cost is
to bs betrayed. According to the present
law the various communities affected are
to pay half and the railroad the other half.
But a bill now before the Legislature at
Albany proposes to place all the cost on
the railroad. Until this bill is either passed
or defeated the work Of doing away with
grade crossings outside the city will be
postponed.
There are Eve lines Of steam railway
entering this city from the north and tray
ersing various sections Of Westchester
0ounty. Three are controlled by the New
York Central and two by the New Haven,
All the lines, except the Putnam Division OF
the New York Central, are being electrified.
Not only is new trackage being provided
along with the new motive power. but i'm
proved facilities are being supplied for
distributing the suburban travel through
out the city. At Kingsbridge a new sta
ton Is to be erected for the Joint use OF the
Hudson River division, the Putnam di-
vision and the subway. The present ter
minalo Of the Putnam division at 155th street
will, Of course, be retained, with the result
that that line will In the future connect
with both the Ninth avenu elevated and
the West Side subway.
The only other line that does not con-
tinue down to the Grand Central Station
L. the Harlem branch Of the New Haven
and Hartford, which ends at 10th street
and Third avenue, where it connects with
the Third avenue and Second avenue ele-
waited lines. 1t has been persistently
rrmored that the cars Of the Putnam d.
vision will eventually be run over the Ninth
avenue elevated track down to the Battery
and hat the cars OF the New Haven and
Hartford's Harlem branch will reach the
aame objective over the Second avenue
tracks.
Finally, the reconstructed Grand Contra
Station is to ave two levels for ira oks
the suburban tracks being under ground
and so arranged that in case a traffic ar
Fangement should be made with the Inter
borough trains may be sent down towr
through the Fourth avenue subway.
A wholly new factor In the transportation
outlook for commuters north Of the city Il
the four track trolley road which the New
York, Westchester INC Boston Railway
Company is building from the Harlem
River. near the Second avenue bridge, tc
Connec ticut. The main line is to pasi
through Mount Vernon, Pelham, New
Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneok, Harri
son and Rye, ending at Port Chester. From
Mount Vernon a branch line will run through
Bronxvill e. Tuckahoe and Scarsdale K
White Plains. Another branch line viii
extend from the Boston post road, at about
nth street, to Clason's Point and Throgg't
Neck.
These various railroad improvements
leave no important part o. the suburban
section of Westchester county untouched
throughout the whole of this region 40
tiyity In real estate has consequently de.
yeloped on a large scale. The prlncipa,
movement just now is in Yonkers, Mount
Vernon, White Plains and New Rochelle.
On the Hudson and on the bluffs over
looking it are the important suburban
towns of Yonkers, Hastings, Dobbs Ferry
Irvington and Tarrytown. A number o.
ommuters also live at Soarsdale and Ossln
jnr and even as far north as Peekskill..
ionkers is an independent city with 4
mixed population and a good deal OF manu-
featuring, but with fine and highly developed
residence sections on the hills overlooking
the river. Many New York business mel
have their homes at Park Hill, Lowerre
Caryl. Dunwoodie, Nepera Park, Gray
Oaks and Nepperhan, in the outskirts OF TIN
town. 81
= Yonkers real estate is advancing rapid.
In value. In the residential section, alonl
North Broadway, Lamertine avenue an,
Warburton avenue, land Is worth from 81
TO SIPS a front foot. Builders are activ
In the construction of fat and apartment
houses, Il which rents run from SIS to $50
Few private houses rent at less than $50
Water front property is in demand as site
for manufacturing plants.
Considerable activity is noted at Hast
ings-on-H Hudson, where a cooperative syn
. dictate, including a number Of professor
az Columbia University, has bought a trac
Of and of about forty acres, on which t
build homes for their own occupancy.
.a,,,I n, HIS Ferry krdSley and Irv