Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-05

,;on nv December Ii. 1913 1t VIII be |
ated at the foot of Main street. built |
brick. and constructed and operated |
intly by the Central Vermont and Rut
nd railroads The present grade cross
rs at College. King and Maple streets
II he eliminated by ENTERPRISES. The
ossings at College and King streets are
BIT considered public highways. SO the
,st OF the undcrpasscs on those two
reefs will fall wholly upon the railroads.
he Maple street crossing Is declared to
public highway and the city of
arlington will therefore have to pay 10
II cent of the cost OF eliminating the
.osslng The total cost OF the new sta
on project is estimated at $3Si,S2G
owards this the city of Burlington will
required to pay a lump sum of s14 900.
esidcs its share. estimated at about $. go.
eliminating the Maple street cross
The above paragraph summarizes n
loscly typewriter report Of g long
ages of the public service commission OF
crmont on the petition of the late g. s.
sham and other citizens of Burlington
or a new union station in this city. and
IN the petition of the mayor and alder
Ien of the city for the elimination of the
radc crossings at College, Main King
nd Maple streets.
Tho report begins with a statement of
'Xisting conditions as to railroad tracks
nd grades, city streets and freight yards
and a description of the several plans
lat were presented and considered at the
many hearings, all of which We're fully
cported in the Free Press at the time
hey were held. There We're i've OF these
plans, ranging In estimated cost from
Fl76.oOo to si,l,s3S. The report continues:
COMPARISON OF PLANS.
All plans presented called for tho tracks
o be at approximately their present level
fxcept the Central Vermont track eleva-
ion plan. and in all other plans. pas
kcngers We're obliged to traverse Ions
flights Of stairs in going to and from the
waiting room and trains on any Of the
tracks. In the Central Vermont track
Elevation plan the first platform west of
the station, which accommodates three
trains, can be used by passengers without
the necessity Of climbing any stairs The
train schedules Indicate and we find
that for most OF the time only those
tracks will be required Occasionally
each day. the other two station track:
will be needed for passenger traffic, ir
which case the patrons must use the foot
subway. which is less objectionable thar
an overhead foOtbridge, both on account
of the smaller number Of stairs to clint
and the avoidance of locomotive gases.
The approaches for carriages to thu
Central Vermont elevated station can be-
made convenient and ample.
Besides providing a union station pro
3ect that will handle the traffic in thu
best manner. It has the advantage o
adapting itself to the problem Of abolish
ing all OF the grade crossings withou
materially changing the grades of tn
existing streets and without introducin:
large property damages. 1t has thu
further advantage OF leaving the lak'
front substantially as 1t is to-day ant
ready for whatever the future may develoI
IN that particular.
None Of the other plans permit o
eliminating all OF the grade crossings 4
this time or at any future time withou
either closing some of tho streets at thu
railroad or introducing steep grades eX
tending nearly to the lake front on thos
portions of the streetg that arc nov
practically level
From n most careful and patient con
sidoration of all the evidence. !nclud'is
our frequent careful. examination of ~
locality, We are we'll satisfied, and fin'
that the only sen.ibla solution of thi
union passenger stain pronem is si.b
stantially that pr, scnte1 by the C'nii 4
Vermont track elevation plan, and tina
public safety and convenience require
the adoption of that solution Of the rrcb
l"m, and requires the construction OF
new union passenger station In the cit
OF Burlington at the foot of Main stree
with its easto,!y face substantially l.
feet from the westerly line of Ia,
terry street, and Of the mat =: al quality
size, and with the appI-t, la1-eS c.r
ncctions. ana appointments prescribed :
the following order. And we find thi
public safety and convenience require
and that II is a necessary In .i,cnt
the construction md the proper loo tic
and reasonably safe ana convenient III
OF said union station. that the main lii
railroad tracks be elevated to w.thin
few feet of the elevation of the inte
section of Battery AID Main streets, III
that an underpdss beneath tn. ..ac,
SO elevated. ne coast 'ucted at Cole
street. and at King street, respectivel
10 accommodate thu traffic between t
lake front and SAID new union stit:c
and between the lake front and tho eli
all as prescribed in the following
der.
II the railroad cmbankment were CO
ried past King street and College sire
without the underpasses prescribed
the following order. the result wo,
he, besides what Is herein elsewhere
dicated that there would be no ste
from King street to the island plato
shown on the "blue print referred to
said order, everybody would have to
through a foot subway to reach Il
platform, and there would be no passa
from the Central Vermont yard. or fr
the Yacht club at the foot of Coll,
street to either the union station or
city; and at King street there would
no way of getting from the Champs
Transportation company's wharf
either the station or the city.
ESTIMATED COST.
We find that the probable cost of
construction of the Union station and
Its appurtenances. and the doing of
the work prescribed in the following
der, exclusive Of land damages, is 81
63O, itemIzcd as follows:
Rutland yard changes east Of
main line track and north of draw
bridge and including all addl-
tional track south of drawbridge. s 81
Central Vermont yard changes