New-York tribune., 1908-07-11
ORDER FOR SIDE DOORS
p S. g. Tells Intcrborough to Try
Them IN Sub7caU Cars.

A. ,o-ssbsso,,ed some time ,so the Public Ser
vice Commission Yesterday issued an order oIie.. ,,
ing the Interboroueh Transit oHlpanH W odF
some of its cars with side doors. The "rueF
ouires the equipment CT only sixteen cars a. ~
commission believes that 1t will be eetieF 10 -
nerircent with a few cars. If they prove q success
the commission will undoubtedly oroef ''e ~
equipment Of ali the subway cars
The order directs that the reconstructeu Cf'S "
ready for operation on before October 3D. ana
that they be operated in two trains OF e'sit ea's
each during the morning and evening rash hours.
To facilitate the operation OF the ooupie so -.
dnors fhe company is directed to equip them WIN
pneumatic other mechanical or elecuicai coi-
trivance and some automatic signal that VIII III
form the fnotor1nan when the doors are Closed
The reconstructed cars will have four o"ois ."
each side the two that nov at the encs oI
the cars and the additional doors. whlch WIN DE
not more than two doors width from the present
doors The company is directed 10 display sstiS
informing the public that the doors at the ehds
of the cars are to be used for entrance and those
the middle of the cars for exit me ooi.i
pany is also directed to use every enoeaNP' ~
make the trial of the a success
When the hearings the proposed sioe "ooi
cars were on before Commissioner Eustls the OIL
ficals of the Interboroush opposed the ldea VsoI
ously. General Manager Hediey declared that u
reconstruct the present cars would weaken 'hein
and that the work would cost szoV9 for each ca,
He also objected to proposition 20 put up ran
| ings on the platforms to segregate the entering
| and the alightng passengers, and said that such
| ratings might cause ccnSeSlIoIi
Bion ]. Arnold the consulting engineer OF the
commission, who recommended the type Of car
| ordered after thorough investigation OF tile
subject estimated that the cost OF reconstructlng
| the present cars would not be more than $4,000
for the steel cars $500 for the composite cars
The company has 500 composite cars and 800 steel
| cars.
To make room for the extra doors 1t Will De
/ necessary o remove two seats from In front el
| each door or eight seats in each car. Although
the seating capacity of each train would thu5 oe
reduced. Mr.. Arnold reasoned that the facli1ty Oh
operation would be increased that more trains
| could be operated and the total number of seats
| passing a given point in any one time would thus
| be Increased.
Commissioner Eusts. in his report OF the near
ing on which the side door order was issued, says
| that the curved platform railings, to which the
| 1nterborough people objected most srenuously are
not absolutely essential to the success of the plan
Commissioner Eusts intinates that possibly the
lease of subway might be forfeited IL the COM
pany does not carry out the orders Of the commits
| sion
| It was said at the Offices of the 1nterborough
! yesterday that General Manager Hedley had not
received copy of the formal order and until he
| did he would say what action the company
| would take It is believed. however. that inasmuch
| as tire company asked to provide only sixteen
of the reconstructed at first. and that as the
| question regarding their availability can thus be
| definitely determined. there will be attempt to
! evade or obtain a reversal of the order
The Interboroush company must inform the Pub
| ilc Service Commission before July 10
| whether or not It purposes obey the order.