Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-08

This shows an increase OF nearly 40
per cent in five years. The Increase from
1907 to 1908 was IS. i31 Do; from 1908 to
1909 it was 81. 1851 1886, and the increase in
the passengers carried by the elevated
road is even greater
The heaviest day for traffic in the sub
way is Monday. when an average OF oD,
OC0 passengers is carried. This IS attrlp-
uted to shoppers who are after the par
gains advertised In the Sunday papers.
passengers for the subway alone. Last
year 16.9O9.2H passengers boarded the
subway train at the city hall statlon
alone. which was an increase from l2,lo.'-
355 for the previous year, and an average
Of about 5000 a day.
The underground railways or LONDON
carried 16OOO0,99S in passengers IN 1919,
or 6O,OOOOOO less than the subways or
New York.
A novel plan for relieving the conges-
ton in the shopping streets or New YORK
city is now pending before the public ser
vice commission. It provides for the con-
struction of underground moving plat
forms on Broadway between 18th and AZ
streets, with lateral branches on l4th.
o3d and 34th streets. extending from river
to river It is understood that there 10
syndicate all ready to undertake this
job provided the public service comm1s-
sion will grant a franchise.
The plan is to erect PLATFORM thirty
one feet wide, which will be moved by
electrical power uupon wheels over hght
rails at the rate of ABOUT three miles an
hour, so that the passengers can step OF
and on without danger The platform
will be continuously in motion from morn
ing until night. never stopping an instant,
and there will be several Independent sets
Of motors provided, SO that If one should
give out the others will be suf1ieient to
keep the platform going until the breaks
~lotfN will ha
tected by wire ratings, and at intervals
at the intersections Of the streets will be
gateways through which passengers can
enter and take their seats upon benches
provided for them If they prefer to do
SO; but il they are in any hurry they can
double their time by walking at an ordi-
nary pace on pathway which will be
provided. If the platform ts moving at
the rate Of three miles an hour. and a
passenger is walking at the same speed.
the distance will be overcome quite as
rapidly as by the surface cars. which do
not average more than nve miles an hour'
owing to frequent stops and detentions.
It is proposed to arrange for landing
places and tunnels connecting with many
shops and department stores along the
route.
Sidewalks Are damned.
With the opening of the new Pennsyl-
vania tunnels the cross streets, particu-
larry 1Ath. 23d, 34th and 4cd, will be al
most impossible. During the shopping
hours today the sidewalks are damned
with people. Locomotion is very difficult
and tiresome. particularly because crowds
are going both ways. They do not form
into regular streams at right and left. but
are always badly mixed and are humping
against each other. This congestion will
increase rather than diminish az the new
lines Of transportation are opened, and
sooner or later something will have to be
done to relieve it.
Another important consideration is the
delay at the crossings Of 9th avenue. 9Th
avenue and Broadway, particularly where
the traffic policemen allow the north and
south procession to go on for a time and
then stop it to permit the jam Of street
cars, wagons, carriages and automobiles
in the roadway and the crowds Of people
upon the sidewalks to have their turn.
These delays are becoming tedious and
annoying and various plans have been
proposed to relieve them. The most popu-
ar suggestion is to tunnel the north and
south streets and let the crowds that are
going east and west pass under them,
but the moving sidewalk idea seems to be
gaining advocates and is becoming a
serious probability.