The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-02-09
PEACE TREATY
With j. R. TO
AID GEARY Line
Bancroft OrdinancesMade Basis
of Negotiations for
Compromise
Trackage Agreement TO Cover
Road to Ferry and Western
Extension
Branches Under Stockton Tun-
mel and Across Town Are
Proposed

Proposed
the reintroductior before the
board of supervisors Monday of
the Bancroft ordinance providing
for routing of the Sutter street
cars to the ferry over the inner Market
street tracks. the way is to be paved
for what may result in an amicable
settlement of differences between the
city and the United Railroads and the.
extension of the Geary street municipal
road to the ferry without a further
legal battle.
When the Bancroft ordinance is
brought up again it will be referred
to the public utilities committee. This
will afford an opportunity for negotia-
tions for a peaeeable settlement of all
traffic differences. regarding conflicting
interests of the municipal road and the
United Railroads. The officials of the
United Railroads will be asked to con-
fer with the committee to formulate d
peace agreement that will be fair to
both sides and terminate the existing
litigation. overtures have been made
by the United Railroads looking to
compromise.
Suggestions for Compromise
The plan that has been suggested
tentatively is that, in return for the
privilege of routing a portion of its
cars over the outer Market street tracks
from the foot of Sansome street to the
ferry. the United Railroads shall raise
no further objection to the extension
of the Geary street road down Market
street to the ferry or west from Thirty
third avenue to the ocean over Point
Lobos avenue. \ joint trackage agree
ment has been suggested, under which
the city and the United Railroads
would use the lower Market street
tracks in common and the United Rail-
roads would join with the city in the
construction and joint use of the west
ern extension Of the Geary street line.
To afford an opportunity for thrash
ing out these suggestions the Ban
croft ordinance is to be brought to life
again. The Willingness of the United
Railroads to consider a compromise
probably is due to the fact that two
court decisions relating to these mat
ters are outstanding against it. The
city authorities are willing to consider
any equitable plan of compromise that
will hasten the completion of the en-
tire Geary street line.
Municipal Line Extensions
Although confronted with the imme-
diate problem of completing the Geary
street road from the ferry to the ocean,
the city officials have begun to consider
the extension of the municipal system
through various branches in time for
the exposition. The opening of the
stockton street tunnel viii be followed
by the extension Of branch road from
Geary street over stockton to Coium-
bus avenue and thence to the Harbor
view exposition site, giving the North
Beach district direct connection with
the downtown section and a direct
route to the ferry.
Another crosstown extension of the
Geary street road probably will be
built over Larkin street to Harbor
View. and the expired franchise of the
United Railroads over California street
from First to Thirty-third avenues will
be taken .over by the city and opera ted
by means of a connection with the
Cseary street line at First or Second
avenue. Comparatively small bond is
sues viii be sufficient to carry out
these extensions, and it is believed that
all can be built and put in operation
prior to the opening of the exposition.
Geary Road Program
The final program for the building of
the Geary street road, as far as the
section from Kearny street to Fifth
avenue is concerned, was determined
at a conference held yesterday by
Mayor Rolph, Expert Bion J. Arnold,
city Attorney Long and members of
the board of public works and the
supervisors public utilities committee
in attendance. The unanimous de-
cisions reached were:
1. To build the road from Kearny
street to Fifth avenue by contract and
not by day labor
?. To have the specifications for this
work prepared at once and to call for
the bids within few weeks.
3. To have the specifications for the
cars prepared BY Arnold's 1carman" in
Chicago and reviewed by the expert
this month, March to be given TO the
contractors throughout the country to
examine the plans, and the bids TO be
called for about April i.
4. Bids to be for all steel, semisteeI
and wooden cars, on like specifications.
5. TO start the actual construction
of the road over the present used route
as soon as the car contract is awarded.
or at least soon enough to have the
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