New-York tribune., 1910-01-08
STUDY In CONTRAST
WHAT CHICAGO PAYS.
Less Than One-Hundredth.
of Grade Crossing York.

7, the Borough OF Brooklyn, New York.
fr is costing upward of s2,5o0,ooo to abolish
grade crossings along some twenty miles
Of railway of which amount the city is
being assessed 10 pay one-half. In Chicago
IL has cost $50 es2 900 to abolish grade cross
inss along some seven hundred and fifty
miles OF railway. of which amount the
citv's share has been less than $4,000.
These facts are brought out in corre-
spondence between the Controllers Office
and the city's legal department in the con-
troversy over the share OF the cost Of
grade crossing elimination work along the
Bay Ridge branch of the Long Island Rail-
road for which the city is being assessed.
Part Of the responsibility for the condi-
tions which this startling comparison dis
closes is placed by the Controllers engi-
neers at the door of the Corporation Coun-
sells Office in failing to properly interpret
the provisions OF the law under which the
grade crossing elimination work is being
carried out.
notwithstanding that the act expressly
forbids the cost Of any betterments being
made a charge against the city. il is stated
the Joint account for the work, of which
the city paws one-half has been loaded
with an excess well beyond 100000 for
what are palpably railway betterments.
The Controllers Office has refused to make
the payments in question, and the matter
will be fought out in the courts under man
damus proceedings instituted by the rail-
way company.
One of the strongest instances OF over
charge for betterment work not authorized
jly the act is the depression of the railway
compsny's right of way over a mile and a
half OF what is known as the Bay Ridge
section. For the whole of this distance the
original railway was operated in an open
cut, over which existing streets and ave-
nues were carried by adequate viaducts-
From the Bay Ridge terminal for a mile or
more the railway was operated upon an
ascending grade of from 26 to 126 feet TO
the mile. with ma sximum grade Of 50 feet
ITO the mile.
BY the inclusion Of this stretch Of line
within the scope Of the Improvement. the
right of way at the beginning of the section
nearest TO Bay Ridge is to be depressed
over two feet, ard the depression Is TO be
continued TO the other end of the section.
This will involve excavation at the points
OF maximum grade Of some twenty feet be-
low the grade OF the original roadbed. In
addition. the entire width of the companys
right Of way over this distance is TO be
graded into a roadbed. so that, for half
mile where only one track previously ex-
listed, there will be two tracks when the
improvement Is completed.
This work is being done over section
OF the railway where originally no grade
crossings existed. Five adequate viaducts
which now carry existing streets and ave
nues over the railway are to be torn down
and new structures erected wide enough 10
accommodate additional tracks laid upon
the new roadbed, with former heavy grades
eliminated by depression OF the right Of
way.
The accompanying photographs show the
original one track line with the kind Of VIA
duct which now carries intersecting streets
over the railway, and the work of the i'm
Trovement in progress at the same point
showing the extent 10 which the roadbed is
being Hidened to accommodate additional
tracks and lowered TO remove excessive
grades. The visduct shown in the photo
graph is one of those TO be torn down and
replaced by steel structure sufficient 10
carry the street over the widened roadbed
at q much lower grade.
RAILWAYS ATTITUDE.
When the railway company first fled
plans for these extensive improvements TO
this Bay Ridge section of its line, the Cor
poration Counsel in written opinion de-
CARED that. inasmuch as the grade crossing
act authorized only such changes as were
necessary TO abolish grade crossings, if any
changes in grade over this section were
sought by the railway company for the
purpose merely of improving its operating
facilities. such changes clearly did not come
within the purView Of the act authorizing
the work
The railway company absolutely refused
20 accept this Interpretation of the law
and, according TO the reports of the Control