New-York tribune., 1911-12-17
Splendid Approach Planned for
Brooklyn Emo of Brooklyn Bridge

lrrease in the taxable value of the sUf.o~.'u-
/ ing property would be considerable.
| Furthermore saws O'Keeffe, Kings Coun-
~ moods a new courthouse. The Board or
Estimate and Apportionment is now consid-
ering the purchase of a site bounded Dy
State Livingston Court and Clinton
! streets at an estimated expenditure oi
| ss. 900 600. What better site for new court
horse could be found than the park space
between johnson and Tillary streets that
| would be formed under his plan? This
| would save the city right there clean
| g, ,oOo, ,0oO At the same time 1t would create
mere or less of a civic centre, as the court
house would face the Borough Hall Al one
side would be the federal building.
Under an act of the last Legislature the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment may
assess the cost Of such contemplated i'm
provement upon the city az large, the bor-
ough at large OF upon any area that 1t
sees ft
The barnlike. GlnSy old structure with
arrangement of tracks and levels long out
| OF date. which is known the Brooklyn
terminal is survival Of the days when
there was no through transit to the other
| side Of the East River. local railroad
carried its passengers back and forth over
the bridge, and the Brooklyn elevated INES
! brought their trains up over and ALONGSIDE
| the terminal. so that the transfer OF pas
| sengers would be as convenient as possible
| II was then what IT is still called-a ter
minal The idea is to do away not only
with the rambling building, but also the
web of tracks in the vicinity. In its place
Commissioner OKeeffe would build mod
ern station. equipped so as to accommo-
date ten-car trains.
| All the elevated trains 10 Manhattan
| would be brought on 10 the bridge from
\ Adams street, at about Concord street
bv means of a modern and slightly struct-
ure that would correspond with the new
station Trains TO Fulton Ferry could
/ still be operated over the Fulton street
line bv sending them through the new
station and down Fulton street from
York street The plans contemplate
new overhead approach TO the bridge for
the trolley cars, running up from WASH
ington street at High street IT provides
for the bridge locals on the mezzanhe
! floor
! Adequate plans for vehicular Uatnc 10
| prevent any congestion are also a part OF
the plan. Roadways running up on the
bridge west of Sands street are planned
| 10 care for the heavy factory trucking
north and south of the bridge. There
would also be runway from the bridge
| at about the same point on the south side.
For the vehicular traffic straight east ana
west inclined planes are provided that
would carry it over Sands street. This
would segregate the various kinds of traf-
fic beyond the possibility Of tangle
The plans of the Bridge Department
have for some time contemplated strength
ening and doubling the capacity of the
Brooklyn Bridge. Commissioner O'Keefte
says his plans for the reconstruction OF
the Brooklyn terminal would be adequate
for the enlarged bridge.
, The Board of Estimate has already
passed plans for new terminal for the
Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge
and $500. 900 has been appropriated for the
preliminary work. Commissioner OKeehe
realizes that he cannot hope to nave his
latest idea carried out at once but he does
believe It should be approved. so that the
department can be preparing for IT gradu-
ally.
There can be no doubt of the general
approval Of the idea from an aesthetic
point Of view by all Brooklynites. Com
missioner O'Keeffe believes but he does
expect that some taxpayers may raise
their voices in protest 1t will be the old
fight between the purely commercial and
the aesthetic ideas.