New-York tribune., 1907-01-05
SUBWAYSF0R TROLLEYS
BRIDGE RELIEF PLAN.
Special Commission Urges Tempo.
rary Terminal 1cross Park Rozc.

Bridge Commissioner Stevenson yesterday re-
ouested the Board OF Estimate and Apportion-
ment TO appropriate So 25OOOO to reconstruct
and enlarge the terminal facilities at the Man
haitian end OF the Brooklyn Bridge and make
certain alterations In the bridge necessary to
provide for increased traffic. The request was
laid for week.
It is planned TO authorize corporate stock for
the proposed new terminal at the meeting next
week. Mr.. Stevenson yesterday presented to the
board the report Of the special commission on
bridge relief. The members of the commission
are William H. Burr, William Barclay Parsons
and Ira A. Mccormack.
AS result Of its inquiry, Mr.. Stevenson said
that he had submitted plan He stated that
The general plan to transfer the present troll
ley stands the bridge by means of a sub
way connection TO sub-surface stands west of
Park Row on property recently acquired by the
city, thus making it possible to provide eight
pockets in the space occupied by the present
terminal building for the seven lines OF elevated
trains crossing the bridge.
For quick relief the Commissioner says that
il is proposed TO extend the structure across
Park Row. which addition can be built in six
months from the time of letting the contract.
This temporary structure must, OF necessity, the
Commissioner states, be removed before the per-
manent plan is carried into completion. The
Commissioner says further that the operating
company Informs him that the Improvement will
enable it TO operate six-car trains without
change at Brooklyn.
The Commissioner says that when the station
as proposed. is completed il will be possible to
run trains the bridge at the rate Of fifteen
miles an hour. on a headway Of forty-fiVe sec
onds. thus increasing the capacity OF the bridge
during the rush hours about % per cent Inc
plans submitted provide for possible connec-
.;o,, be-veeu he bridges y 4 subway 0 elevated
loop
The plans further provide for three railway lew
els one for trolley and two for elevated
trains It is proposed to run the surface cars
into subway, to construct only four loops ana
TO continue the tracks out under Park Ro" 10
Chambers street. With the elevated II is pro-
posed to run an upper and lower level four
tracks 10 each level and to have the two levels
come together on the same level at Pearl street
II is claimed for the plan that the passengers
coming in will move in straight lines without
turns and by the shortest possible route The
report stated that the Brooklyn Bridge was
originally built for much lighter loads than arc
now contemplated, but the commissioners be-
ueve that it is entirely safe 10 run six-car
trains On this particular point the report says:
Il is necessary under the present conditions
of maintenance of the Bridge that the total
cable tension shall not be such as to move the
saddles at the tops of the towers, in order that
proper adjustments of the Suspenders ana dag
onas in the StifTening truSseS may not De dlS'
turbed. The computations made by the depart
nent engineers show that there viii be less
liability TO arrangement of the required ADJUST
ments under the proposed operation or siX-car
trains with fixed spacing than under the present
traffic conditions, with irregular and conse-
uuently at times very short intervals Each
six-car train would be made up Of four motor
cars and TWO traiiers. making a total weight
when fully loaded of 412.0o0 pounds. 1t is as
sumed in these computations that, as at pres
ent the distance apart centres of two successive
trolley shall not be less than one hunured
feet. If the Bridge should carry its maximum
load of six-car elevated trains spaced as ALREADY
stated trolley cars distributed as described. ami
the usual vehicle and foot traffic. the greatest
possible stress in the wires of the cables would
not exceed 53 COO pounds TO the square inch
under conditions of greatest congestion, while
under what may be called ordinary maximum
working conditions that stress would not ex-
ceed 1890 pounds to the square inch. In view
Of the ultimate carrying capacity or tine cdpIeS
as determined by actual test when the bridge
was constructed, these greatest stresses would
lead them from about one-third to about one
fourth of their ultimate carrying capacity;
safe and prudent limit.
The commission recommends that the entire
system be completely fitted including the
operation Of switches. with modern and effec-
tive system Of signals, that the minimum
distance between trains may be rigdly main
tanned. The commissioners state that conges-
ton will be relieved by running trains from one
bridge to the other The commissioners also say
that temporary makeshift should be consid-
cred. They propose TO meet the congestion. in
a word by spreading it a greater It
IS proposed under the plan TO remove the whole
Of the present Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan sta
tion and, except for the foot bridge. nothing is
proposed to project over the easterly line OF
Park Row.
tn RIP TIP MORE CENTRAL TRACKS