New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-25
IRONCLAD FORMS FOR
SUBWAY CONTRACTS
Tri-BOrough System Allows Bid
derS No Opening for Mis-
understanding.
FIVE CENT FARE PROVIDED
Comprehensive Plan of Four
Years Work to Complete
the Roads at Cost of
500, 900.

S10O,000,o00.
Forms OF contract for the construction
Of the tri-borough subway system.
either by private capital or by the city.
have been prepared by the Public Ser
vice Commission. Hearings on the al
ternate forms will begin on May for
the contracts for construction, equip
ment and operation, and on May 16 for
the municipal construction of the pro-
posed subways. which will cost over
S1O0O00OO0.
With the issue of the forms of con-
tract. Edward NJ Passett. one of the
commissioners. has given out memo
randum dissenting from the forms
adopted by the majority. u argues that
the suburban extensions in The Bronx
and in South Brooklyn should not be in
cluded in the contracts low under con-
sideration, but should be provided for in
separate contracts. and that these
branches should be built under the as
sessment plan.
The form Of contract first TO be con-
sidered embodies an entirely new sys-
TEN of building subways. inasmuch as
it invites bids not only for the construc-
tion OF the subways. but also for their
equipment and operation by the firm or
company undertaking the work. This is
the contract for building 10y private
capital made possible by the Travis
Robinson amendment made year ago
TO the rapid L lsit la
City Retains O~nership.
The tri-borough system under consid-
Grafton embraces the Broadway -Lexing-
ton avenue system in Manhattan and
The Bronx. the Canal street subway
and the Centre and Delaney street loop
i'm Manhattan; the Broadway
avenue subway i'm Brooklyn and the
Fourth avenue subway in Brooklyn. with
its extensions TO Coney Island and Fort
Hamilton. The Co7tre street and De
lancey street loop in Manhattan. from
the Williamsburg Bridge to the new
Municipal Building. with a spur TO the
Manhattan Bridge is practically com
pleted. and the Fourth avenue subway
in Brooklyn. from the Manhattan Bridge
TO Fourth avenue a. 43d street, is un-
der construction. To be 1nished by No
vember 1911 Th-se two sections. there
fore. are to be considered only in the
form Of contract which relates to the
construction. equipment and operation Of
the tri-borOugh system.
The contractor who gets the award for
the entire system under the private capi-
tai plan Of construction will get the
equipment ard operation of these two
sections, but they are not considered in
the alternate form for construction By
the city Whichever form OF contract is
adopted, the ownership of the whole sys-
TEN will vest in the city from the start.
Ia the private capital scheme. the sue
cessful bidder will get as his reward a
lease for operation for term long
enough TO enable him to amortize the
cost Of the road and set a reasonable
return on his investment. The private
capital system will. therefore. involve
bidding upon the percentage of cost
which the contractor is willing to set
aside each year, compounded semi-an-
nually TO amortize the cost The bids
will therefore. depend more on the time
which will be required for paying off the
cost rather than on the amount 70 be spent
on the work. The law provides. how
ever. that the city. at any time after ten
years. may take over the road upon the
payment to the -ontractor of the cost
thereof plus L. per cent.
Track Layout Of New Routes.
The various portions of the system are
describe at length in the forms of con
tract to be submitted for the hearing.
The Broadway Lexington route is to be
a two-track subway from the Battery to
. Chambers street ard a four-track sub
way north TO l3Jth street and Park ave
nue. The Jerome avenue and the Pei
ham Bay Park branches will have three
tracks.
The Jerome avenue branch will he an
elevated road from East l57th street
and River avenue to Woodlawn road.
while the Pelham Bay Park branch will
. become an elevated road at the west side
of whitlock avenue. between Aldus and
Bancroft streets. and continue as such
70 Pelham Bay Park.
The Canal street subway is to have
two tracks from Vest street to the in
tersection Of Canal and Centre streets,
where IL will merge with the two tracks
Of the Centre street loop leading to the
Manhattan Bridge.
The Broadway Lafayette avenue route
ia Brooklyn viii begin at T.. Williams
urg Bridge, ON The south side Of the
street. So that two other tracks may
later be built on the nortEerly side. The
broadway line will run from the bridge
10 a point about midway between Kos
suth Place and the north side of Lafav-
cite avenue, the Laf- tie avenue
branch will begin under Fulton street.
near Ashland Place, and run To- Lafay-
cite avenue. under Lafayette avenue to
Broadway. passing under the Broadway
subway. then on und ssIth avenue
To Bushwick avenue.
The Fourth avenue subway. now un-
der construction. is To- be "A fOur-tra,k
road. The extension t. Fort Hamilton
yyiu be "A two-track subway while the