New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-30
FOR 4" FREIGHT LINE
CITY Club FavorS Marginal Read
en- West Side.
TUNNEL UNDER THE DRIVE
Plans Call for Removal of New
York Central Tracks on
Two Avenues.

4 special committee OF the City Club.
appointed 10 investigate ways and means
for relieving Ele, enth avenue of the New
York Central tracks and for the estab-
lishment OF freight terminal on the
lower West Side, has submitted a report
to the Board of Estimate and ABORTION
ment in which IT urges the city 20 build
an elevated structure from Cortlandt
street 10 Goth street. The cost. 1t is esti-
mated, will be 100000.
The comm .ttee has considered the adj
vantages of the unit terminal system In
yestigated by the Board of Estimate, the
report states. but II is OF the opinion that
a. marginal railway offers the best solu-
ion OF the problem The railway COM
fanies condemn the unit terminal plan
aCcordi.g to the committee, and while
such a system might afford some relief
from the excessive use OF North River
piers by railroads, the relief would not be
great. Neither would IL relieve the
Eleventh avenue situation, since the unit
terminal would afford greater occasion
Tor the maintenance Of the freight ter
nina! al 81. johns Park. Another argu-
ment against It is mat It would merely
transfer the inconvenience Of trucking on
the West Side 10 side streets.
The committee advances the following
points In favor of the marginal railway:
Tho plan would call for the removal Of
the New York Central tracks from EleV-
enth and 1--WE lftl avenues IN eNcnange Tor
a franchise on the marginal railway.
Arrangements could De- made FOR great
F..T. -
10 be covered over along Riverside Drive.
other railways could use the elevated
structure tor the distribution or freight.
Win marginal railway freight could
he brought from distributing stations on
the Je sey meadows and through tunnels
To New York for delivery. Unit terminals
could then be esta blishcd along the line
Of the marginal road from Cortlandt
street 10 tOth street.
for ocean traffic would Ice liberated from
the railroads.
Investigations, according 10 the report.
have found that the cost OF such sys-
TEN for freight distribution would be
comparatively low, the cost Of an Gle
waited structure having been found 10 De
approximately a third Of the cost OF
subway. AZ much OF the ground along
tho West Side Is made land extreme
uiffculties would be encountered IN the
construction OF a subway. Another adj
vantage would be the connections made
with warehouses and piers ATOMS the West
Side
In summing up the situation the COM
mlttee states:
We deem IL clear that marginal rail-
way PRIMARILY Ior the service OF the clty
Oh Sew ora aud oil It's people snouId,
ike AL otncr lnstrumentaIil.es loI tnat
purpose. b. the Property Oh me city, II
possible. Manipulation Tor sculsn ends
Canuot 50 ItauIy .uu surrey tee prevented
IT the Ownership Is in one railway company,
or seIasn Comutndtion 10 me ul>ad' datase
~ some OF the IalIway companies II the
OwutIsn.p Is JOlnD supervisor h IN sucn
cases but poor substitute Tor owner
snip which reserves 10 the CIty primarily
tn" right % MAKE terms for the use and
opyIaDou OF the tracks
Should the Ncw YORK Central Railway
Company not 10. willng 10 sgrrenuer It's
franchises aIonS Eleventh avenue and
other streets Tor facilities when, however
much outweisning sucn franchises In real
value, cannot be tapltauZed value. that
company might well De willing 10 trade
at valuation mutually AK erd upon. its
FRANCHISE 10 operate upon Eleventh ave
Uue and other streets a. part payment for
is new franchise above vTh street