Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-06
DEPRESSION. NOT ELEVATION.

NOI ELM ALTON.
There is no doubt that the grade
crossings in Perth Amboy will be
abolished within the next few years.
We refer particularly to those of the
Central railroad which carry the
through trafic to the shore. This
step has got to be taken whether the
railroad company wants to or not for
the public utility commission is go
ing to have something to say along
this line as soon as it gets down 20
a working basis. There is no city in
the state where the trains IL faster,
and there is no place where the dan
ger to human life is greater.
1t being accepted, therefore, that
the grade crossings must go, the
question arises as to whether the
railroad shall be elevated or de
pressed. The EVENING NEWS has
discussed this subject before, argu-
ing in favor Of track depression.
There are many reasons why this is
preferred. Perhaps the greatest is
the tax valuation on property. The
Central railroad cuts this city al
most in half. To elevate the tracks
would mean the building of a great
stone wall directly through the heart
Of the city. The valuation of proper
ty, particularly west of the railroad,
would depreciate to a great extent,
There is hardly a property owner in
that section but who would be af-
fected. stand at city hall park and
look out Market street. What a
a beautiful thoroughfare that is. It
would be a shame to disfigure it
with an unsightly bridge for track
elevation. 1t ought not to be al
lowed. The railroad company must
abolish the grade crossing. 1t is
probable that its engineers are at
| work on the plans now. We know
that surveys have been made. When
the work is done, therefore, the city
should guard carefully its own inter-
ests. We understand that Mt. YER
non. n. Y, has compelled the rail-
road there to go beneath the streets
instead of above. Perth Amboy is
Just as anxious to eliminate all dis
fgurements as is Mt. Vernon.
There might be some excuse for
permitting the railroad to elevate
were the conditions here not so
favorable for depression. At the
present time we go down five or six
steps from the station platform to
the track level. Market street is
cut down considerably in order to
cross the railroad at grade. But
even with this, there is still a de
cided grade all the way from the
bridge across the Raritan river to the !
city limits on the north. BY cut
ting away this grade and making theJ
tracks pass through the city on the
level with the bridge, We could easily
have practically every street pass
over the tracks.
Then, too, there is the Lehigh
Valley railroad which the Central
railroad now crosses at grade at
washington street. 1t would be a
decided advantage to both railroads
if they could abolish this crossing,
But the time is coming when the Le-
high Valley must also abolish It's
street grade crossings. Owing to It's
coal docks and terminals, track de-
preston would be practically impos-
sible here. This leaves only eleva-
ton for the Lehigh Valley. But if
the Central is also elevated this
would bring both railroads crossing
each other at grade again. The
logical solution to this is to have the
Central tracks depressed so as to
pass under Washington street and
have the Lehigh Valley elevated so
as TO go above the street.
The elevation OF the Lehigh Val
ley running across n corner Of the
city, with only two principal cross
ings at grade, Washington street and
New Brunswick avenue, would not
be nearly as injurious to the city as
the elevation of the Central which
cuts the city directly in half.
This Is a matter that Perth Am
boy should be taking into considera-
ton. There is reason to believe that