New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-14
MORE SUBW AY CARS
FAST SERVICE TO-DAY
HedLey Tells Public Hoo 1t
Can Help the Management.

The subway sets out to-day TO vindicate
New Yorks hospitality by opening some
S.i6S more doors TO strangers and citizens
than it has done heretofore. In other
words, 2 schedule, by which express
trains are run at the rush hour rate of one
every minute and forty-eight seconds for
three hours every morning and two hours
ana a half every evening, goes into effect
to-day. The management promises and the
public hopes that the change will give to
the conpany's guests & happier lot while
they are within the doors.
Moreover, the marlborough made an
nounccment Of the change yesterday with
the mien and gesture of corporation that
has undergone a change Of heart toward
the public and the mediums of public com
mupication. Frank Hedley, Vice-president
and general manager Of the company, in
Nited the newspapers to come and hear all
about it, and for an hour he talked with
reporters, frankly answering dozens OF
questions about all sorts Of things, from
minute details OF signal systems 10 per-
sonal queries as to what he {Mr. Hedley)
meant when he told the Public Service
Commission, I'VE do as we please"
That unlucky phrase, the manager init
mated, had better be forgotten, and it had
been sadly misunderstood, anyway. He
begged outright that the newspapers urge
the public IN turn TO be careful in using
the subway so as to make matters there
more comfortable for themselves and less
exasperating for the Public Service Com
mission and the company. All this was
very different from the naughty silence
which the company always has been re-
puted to preserve regarding the affairs
which it has called its own. The general
,r-F4 70
know. that the Interborougn was as re-
ticent as the tomb.
Advice for the Public.
The public can help us to give Il bet
ter service" Mr.. Hedley said, by not
packing into the first train that comes and
crowding Il indecently 10 the doors By
waiting over one train passengers can
usually find plenty of room. By walking to
the end of the platform they can almost
always find seats during non-rush hours,
and during the crowded period they can
usually find places at once. When the cars
are packed too tightly there is always
delay for passengers who are leaving the
train, and every second that a train is held
in a station means delay for other trains
which are behind it ready TO enter the
station.
we want TO urge upon the public that
81 help US in both those ways. The whole
problem Of rapid service centres in the stop
OF the express at the station. If we can cut
those stops down to thirty seconds each,
We can operate our trains on a Roadway
of ! minute and 80 seconds. At present the
stops are Of from - seconds to I minute
and 20 seconds. Again, passengers for points
beyond 96th street should always wait for
the train that viii take them where they
want 10 90 without a change.
This subway was built TO carry $4,000
persons day, and it actually carries from
10000 TO 100000. Naturally. 1t will take
care and patience on the part OF the pub
lie, as well as on that OF the road, 10 make
things run smoothly. No other road of
any kind on earth has such a problem as
that"
The Interborough is relying upon its new
ride doors to help in maintaining its fast
schedule These cars cut down the time of
station stops in two ways. They provide
three entrances to each car, instead of two,
the third door giving access to the centre
Of the car. where the crowd is apt to be
less dense Besides, they are fitted with
an automatic Signal system, by which the
closing of the last door of the train gives
the signal to the motorman to start the
train. This system eliminates the risk II
mistakes by guards in giving the signal by
he'll and saves costly seconds which were
wasted by the bell system.
New Equipment Ordered.
Twenty-one trains Of the new cars will
be in operation to-day. In all go cars have
been ordered, and they are being delivered
at the rate of two and three on alternate
days. Every five Of the new cars makes
possible the operation OF one more eight
car train with the side doors. as three cars
sn each express are "trailers''-that is not
equipped with motors.
These trailers OF the new side door type
are now ready, having been rebuilt from
old cars OF the regular design. Many Of
them are in service with cars of the older
pattern. and bear the sign This Side Door
Not Working" This, Mr.. Hedley eX-
slsined, was because it IS unsafe to use
The side doors unless the whole train is
equipped with the automatic signal system.
A guard cannot see through crowded car
whether his side door is properly closed or
not.
The new schedule provides for a train
every minute and forty-eight seconds from
o'clock TO 10 in the morning and from
$40 TO 6:10 o'clock IN the afternoon. AS the
time Is reckoned from tho departure Of the
trains from 96th street on the southwark
"trip the rush hour service Will be in effect
the northbound tracks for half an hour
or more afterward Heretofore the rush
>7oUr service lasted for only one hour and
twenty-three minutes. In the hours be-
tween tie rush hour periods the running
time is reduced from three minutes TO two
and one-half minutes. All told, the num-
her Of express trains is Increased from l,776
10 1904 during the day. There are slight
increases in the local service.