New-York tribune., 1909-03-21
WANT 4 NEW HEARING.
Washington Heights Asks Another
EIeUator at I8ISt Street Station.

The representative body OF the northern sec
ton o: Manhattan Island. the Washington Heights
Taxpayers Association. has asked for the privi-
lege OF another public hearing before the Pub
lie Service Commission in the immediate futuTe-
The object sought through this desired hearing
is the establishment of another elevator at the
1s1st street station OF the Broadway subway This
step agreed upon at the meeting or tne e1ecu-
tive committee held Wednesday evening. March
10 at Corrigan Hall. At THIS same meeting, also.
a COMMITTEES Of builders interested in the de-
velopment OF that section presented themselves
and Joined the association IN a body. Many other
resolutions were introduced furtherance OF the
general scheme TO better the conditions IN the upper
West Side districts OF the city.
The meeting was called to order by john d
Whalen, the chairman. Secretary Reginald Pei
ham Bolton. In his monthly report gave the details
OF made at The 1S1st street station on tnat
day. The report showed that the large number OF
276O persons were passengers on the subway be-
tween the hours OF 71O and s:56 a. m. these pas
sengers pIng themselves into twenty-six trains
During the Same hours more than six hundred
laborers were counted coming uptown, showing
the great building activities going on In the
Heights district
Between the hours Of 4:SS and 704 p m. there
were thirty-two uptown trains, carrying Si23
passengers nine hundred laboring men taking
southbound trains during the same period Ihese
figures tend to show the enormous increase IN
traffic over conditions year at the same time
the morning hours there 154 persons standing
on the platform waiting for one train, IlS persons
being crowded at time In the station, with
only two inadequate elevators 10 provide for this
small army
Frank S. Robinson declared that there are sufh-
cient apartment houses IN the course OF con-
struction on Washington Heights 10 house con-
venientlv more than the ten thousand people ex-
pected to move in before next fall.
Mr. Robinson also said that he had learned that
n large building is to be built the northeast
corner of 1s1st street. which will have a large
arcade and two passenger elevators leading to the
subway He said that this would undoubtedly do
much TO alleviate the congestion at that point.
The Taxpayers Association placed itself on record
as favoring all improvements which would tend to
remove present conditions. whether private or pub
lie and further added that it would be wise for all
parties to confer before the contemplated hearing
1t was announced that two pumps were to
be installed at the Highbridge station at once the
work to be begun within two weeks. This
nouncement was received with much interest by
those present The contemplated change at the
16sth street station in elevators up for dis
cussion, and 1t was decided that the street level
was too high to permit OF elevators besides, the
expenditure of only $500 in other improvements
would be sufficient.
The subject of a new school in the neighborhood
OF 10th street was brought up, and ii declared
that even now there was only part time for some
once. Another subject before the members was the
Drive improvements distributed over wider area.