The San Francisco call., 1910-07-02

The courts decision d, week go that
the city had the right to own and
operate the Geary street railroad has
aroused renewed interest in this great
municipal project.
As soon as the first bond issue to
the amount Of s25O.OO0 is placed work
viii begin on the reconstruction of the
Gesry street line in order TO make it
q thoroughly up to date street rail-
road.
AT present this car line practically
ends nowhere. 1t is estimated that its
value as a money Garner would be
doubled If it were extended down Mar
ket street TO the ferry. 1t is believed
that a new through line fully equipped
would tend to improve many business
and residence districts along its route.
There is a charter provision that
such q line may use the tracks of
another street railroad for a distance
Of FIVE blocks by paying fits share of
the cost and maintenance Of such
tracks.
On this basis City Engineer Manson
in a report TO the board Of public
works several months ago submitted
~ =
street line 10 the ferry over the Mar
ket street line tracks. There is some
doubt, however. whether this could be
done legally.
Five long blocks would bring the
Geary street line to East street and
the ferry. but if the short blocks on
the north side of Market were counted
the municipal line would have to end
two blocks from the water front. There
are, however, stin one or two ways
TO extend the line TO the foot of Mar
ket street. If separate tracks were
built they would I'll the street al
most fun Of cars and tracks.
PLAN FOR ELEVATED TERMINAL
Another and apparently better way
would be for the municipal tracks to
spread out to the curb and rise on
an elevated trestle along either side of
Market street, forming semicircle in
front Of the ferry building. By fol-
lowing this plan, instead of adding
TO the present congestion Of cars, teams
and pedestrians at the foot of Market
street the new streetcar line would
relieve the situation by carrying q
large part Of the passenger traffic
above the street level
New Yorks streets would have been
crowded beyond endurance long ago if
relief had not been found by elevated
y
OF the Southern Pacific passenger ter
minal at the foot of Market street, as
seems probable the present congestion
viii be made sfill worse, unless some
relief is provided by an overhead or
underground system for taking care of
passenger traffic
In New York. at the Grand Central
station. it takes both the elevated and
the subway 10 take care Of the incom-
ing and outgoing crowds. At Boston s
two biz terminals the elevated has been
found a great factor in handling the
suburban traffic. There. as in San
Francisco. the depots are located near
the water front, where there is an
enormous amount Of heavy teaming
The street approaches are jammed with
surface cars and vehicles and passen-
ger traffic was in bad way until the
elevated road was built
Tn Chicago also the elevated roads
proved great feeders TO the passenger
stations. il seems IS if conditions in
san Francisco were approaching the
point where an elevated road would be
needed to take care Of part Of the pas
senger travel in the most crowded spot.
the foot Of Market street. If the Geary
street line were to make beginning
in the way OF relieving congestion,
many leading citizens think ii would
be a step in the right direction.
No LEGAL OBSTACLE
Theodore Sava ge, who has taken a
prominent part in many civic affairs,