The San Francisco call., 1910-07-02
GEARY CAR Line THE BEGINNING OF GREAT MUNICIPAL SYSTEM
BRANCH MAY RUN IN
THE STOCKTON TUBE
Extension Of City Railway Would Develop
Business and Residence Districts

has given his views on this subject as
follows:
L think it would be very good
idea TO extend the Geary streetcar line
TO the ferry as an elevated system at
the lower end of Market street. 1 can
see no legal obstacle to carrying out
such a plan. AS to the engineering end
of it, 1 can not say. But something
should be done to give the road a
proper terminus
at present il begins nowhere. For
il to start. at the foot of Market street
where travel concentrates, would be to
give the road a greatly increased value.
II it were to have a branch along
Stockton street through the new tun-
mel to North beach it would soon at
tract all the Marin county ferries to
North beach. and a large cross town
traffic would grow up. Ferries would
traz island and shorten their time ma
terially.
For the new municipal road to have
an opportunity to get such a feeder
as the Stockton street tunnel route is
fortunate. Both come up at the same
time in natural relation"
The plan to add a Stockton street
tunnel cross town line to the Geary
system has been considered favorably
by business men and property owners.
AS Savage points out, the municipal
cross town line would attract the Marin
county ferries to docks on North beach.
The Northwestern Pacific would doubt
less send many Of its passengers to San
Francisco by this route There are also
indications that some other great rail-
road system will secure terminals on
the Marin county shore and ferry
across to North beach docks.
PROSPECT FOR TRAFFIC
This would create a profitable traffic
for a municipal cross town line, par
ucularly when cars could be run from
the North beach directly to the South
ern Pacific terminal and to the Oak
land ferry house.
The board of public works long ago
foresaw that with the Geary street
cars as a main east and west line they
would need some cross town feeders.
AS the Stockton street car franchise
has been relinquished, the city has
an opportunity to get possession of
this important artery of traffic.
PLAN FOR RECONSTRUCTION
The present plan for the reconstruct
tion of the Geary street line calls for
the expenditure of s2,020,00O, which is
to be raised from the sale of bonds.
Work can not be begun until the first
issue of S25O.0O0 is sold and the money
paid in. The bonds will bear interest
at the rate of Az per cent.
The most important renovation of
the present car line will be to change
il from a cable to an electric system.
In the downtown section from Geary
and Kearny streets to Prsidio avenue,
2l5 miles, it is proposed to use the
underground conduit trolley. This is
the system now used altogether in
the downtown districts of New York
city The more remote parts of the
Geary street system might use the
overhead trolley, as that is much less
expensive.
The official route as laid down for
the municipal street system is from
Geary and Kearny streets along Geary
westward TO Point Lobos avenue,
thence in Point Lobos avenue to Cliff
avenue, thence in Cliff avenue to the
terminal near Ocean beach; also for
a branch from the intersection of
Point Lobos avenue ana Tenth avenue
TO Golden Gate park; also for a rail
road running down Market street to
the ferry.
The estimate of s2,02O.o00, which
has been made for this work, is based
on the reconstruction OF the existing
roadbed in Geary street and Point
Lobos avenue and the construction of
the other portions of the work on the
highest type of standard gauge con-
struction and equipment.