New-York tribune., 1909-04-02
NEW 18th AVENUE BILL
PL4N TO COST &59,G00, 400.
Measure Introduced by Grody-nGy
.lIlOzc II" Structure.
u, - . q -


Albany. April Senator Thomas r Grady intro
duced to-day a bill purporting to give the New
York Central Railroad Company the right To move
its tracks from Eleventh avenue. and repeating the
SAKE Law providing for the installation Of the West
Side tracks ia 2 subway. Railroad lawyers who
have examined the bill closely say Il grants. in
effect, permission 10 the railroad company for an
elevated structure South 18th in Eleventh
avenue any other streets agreed on by the rail
road and city authorities II apparently would
grant a perpetual franchise the railroad FOR this
structure and would confer The corporation sew
era! other valuable concessions
The measure directs the New York Central Com
paHy prepare plans and profits in accordance
with which its Of streets. avenues. public
parks and places grade the west side OF Man
haitian should be discontinued as otherwise
provided in the bill Tn plans must he submit
ted 10 the Public Service Commission in the 1st
District for its approval then to the Board of Es-
tEnate and Apportionment. Within four months the
commission must send the plans 10 the Board OF
Estimate either with its approval with modih-
cations such as II deems advisable Then the Board
Of Estimate must draw up agreement between
the railroad and the city. subject the approval
OF tie commission and the acceptance Of the rail-
road
Provisions in the New York City charter which
would limit the company's franchise to twenty five
years repealed by this hill. 50 far as they
would apply 10 the Eleventh avenue tracks says
the bill.
-',lor shall anything in this act contained have
the effect of limiting or impairing in any manner
OF 10 any extent the existing rights. privileges or
franchises Of the said railroad company or OF de
priving any manner 70 any extent the sala
railroad company of the use and benefit Of such
rights privileges and franchises. except in so Tar
only as such rights privileges franchises shan
be expressly limited modified by this act CT IN
or by any instrument executed in pursuance 1here
Of That Is since the agreement OF the COMPANY
with the city would be limited by the provisions of
the act a perpetual franchise would be granted
10 the railroad for its structure south OF
5sth street unless decision from the Court OF APP
reals were obtained declaring that the company
had not at present perpetual franchise II
Eleventh avenue.
Among other things. lawyers say this measure IN
effect provides for the covering Of the Eleventh
avenue tracks at the expense Of the city IL re-
peals the SAKE law p-ovi6ing for the condemnation
of those tracks. Also il declares that provisions
of law including the New York City charter, incon-
sistent with this bill shall have no application 10
the rights powers and obligations conferred under
this measure. That would give the company au-
rboritv 10 20 ahead with work under the agree
u1ent without interference from city departments
whose permits otherwise it would have 10 get
This hill was drawn by the New York Central
and submitted Ih- Public Service Commission
with a request that they make any changes III II
they saw 1T said Senator Brady. Ihere IS not d
line in if tha; sacrifices grabs anything IL is
,r,andad sirnplv TO provide a solution for the EleV-
enth avenue ira ,k problem There is ample SAFE
guard against improper action In te Id't thi' IN
Fosrd of Estimate and the Public Service toii'lis
sion for the 1st District would have 10 come 10 an
agreement with the railroad before anything c"ulo
he dome Dissent Of any one Of the parties to this
agreement would cause the whole scheme 10 lal
7-b following is q synopsis Of the provisions Of
the bill:
Firs-Between spuyten Dgyy and md z fhe tracks 9Ee
a. co,,fsr,r1sTed and the streets be carried
over tire tracks except al MEnhatIanTiheii .,o,s
Second-At ana near ManhatIdiNHie 'lie '''
are be carried over lle StreeIs- -. --ocl-s
are be carried in whole OF in part eitneT "a LII an
elevated structure or in subway struclur1., ,ig -
IS to be erected mist meet the approval OF me me
Public Service CoTnmsslSn of ,i0t me fsI DaSIt
Fourth-The expense of aking the changes Is
10 be borne by the railro ad cnmpany- No expendi-
f11re Of money is required by the city except snc
as il may spend in changing ITS strte!s ouslue ~
tain portions Of the tracks through park lands
Such coverings and me ~ s. ce6e If The
property. needed by the railroad company IN ac-
esnge ~55h 1o belong lf pans @ the cty and to or
cor3nanv nv the CITY OF lands required to carry out
tie plans and this is of the reasons why Spe-
cia bin is necessary, as there IS no suthori'y o'"ei
; II provides cor the disContnuance Of the use
Of steam locomotives as q motive power II is
TIE estnaJeo co]I % -, '-se1i s75 I'M
mediate future is from 100000 to S9enOe0. de
tisii'' ties are provided south Of 5sth street
The plan will result: - - -.
,y-s6e nf fhe streets and So do away with the in
ferglrtiOn ordinary street traffic, danger TO fife
aId property and the delays Incident TO operation
529 1t viii provide modern. adequate and con-
venient freight stations warehouses and other
shipping facilities
operation by locomotives will cease
a. AlonE and through Riverside and Fort Wash
ngton parks the treatment may be such as not only
to do away with the objections which now exist,
bu; such as greatly to heautify and increase the
usefulness of those parks. and in the case Of
Riverside Park such as to very largely Increase
its area and the opportunities for its use by the
people
William z WILCOX, chairman or the Public Ser
vice Commission said last night that the bill intro
duced by Senator Grady had not been approved by
the commission and must way be looked upon
as the commissions bill despite the reports from
Albany
Some time ago said Mr WiIIccx. Ira A.
Place vice-president Of the New York Central &
Hudson River Railroad Company. sent the commits
sion a copy OF bill which ne said the company
intended TO have introduced Albany MT. Place
asked for the commissions opinion
The communication seemed 70 warrant an
sner although il the commissions ha DIT TO
comment on bills make suggestions until the
bills come down the regular way from Albany,
after having been introduced. ] wrote Mr.. Place a
letter therefore. on March 29 in which pointed
out certain features OF the bin which seemed TO
deserve comment
The original bill then changed u certain
particulars. ] understand, bur it must not be be
neved that those changes We're suggested by The
commission that the bill as Introduced has the
al