The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-08
SUBWAY PLAN
IS ENDORSED BY
. COMMITTEE
Urges Council to Make Start on
the Building of Sys-
PICKS WOODWARD-AVE.
FOR THE FIRST TUBES
Equipment of Main Thorough
fares Leading 10 Heart of
City Is Ultimate Plan

Tuesday night, recommended That I'M
mediate steps be taken toward plan
ming subway In Woodward-ave.. with
terminals TO accommodate future
lines in Gratiot, Michigan and Grand
River-aves., and in Fort-st west, and
Jefferson-ave.
The committee advised the council
to employ an engineer, and that the
engineer and three members OF the
council make a trip to other cities
where subways are In use as an aid
in preparing plans. The committee
acknowledges the assistance and sug-
gestions OF several engineers in its
work on the proposition since last
February. II recommends that the
committee be authorized TO enter
negotiations with William II. Adams
or some other suitable engineer" to
compile the records of the various
public utilities companies and city
departments 30 far as they present
obstacles to construction and to draft
preliminary plans Of downtown loops
and terminals, covering a complete
system OF rapid transit for the entire
city and to prepare a preliminary es-
innate OF cost and probable revenues
of Woodward-ave. rapid transit sub
way.
The committee went far enough
! into the proposition TO recommend in
its report that the subway in Wood
ward-ave. be built near the surface
instead OF at a great depth. 1t
recommends the method OF excavat-
ing by open trench, probably cover
ed at once by temporary structure
at street grade on the buster parts OF
the route so as to interfere very
slightly with traffic" 1t is suggested
Will be In progress at many points at
the same time.
The report states that the daily in
creasing congestion of the downtown
streets would be largely relieved
by having the single Woodward-ave.
subway 1t Is estimated that this sub
way alone, with extensions to Hamil-
ton-blvd., and Beaubien-st., at the
Grand-blvd.. would eliminate half OF
/ the cars now operating on the Wood
tward-ave., the Hamilton-blyd. and the
Fourteenth-Beaubien lines. With
logical extensions of the system in
the future, the report says, this would
apply to all other lines entering the
downtown district and would provide
a permanent check on that part of
the congestion due to street cars and
the pedestrian traffic seeking to board
street cars.
Other important features OF the re.
port are contained In the following:
The most serious problem con-
fronting engineers In the study of the
rapid transit situation In Boston, Chi
leago, New York and Philadelphia had
been the choice Of routes. The gen.
eral plan Of Detroit renders this study
unnecessary as far as the main thor
Ioughfares are concerned, and the prln-
cipal problems will be those OF down
town loops and terminal stations.
These should be 30 laid out as TO
serve the greatest area with the mini
mum cost OF construction and opera
ton and 30 as to most readily relieve
the congestion of our streets within
the half-mile circle during the rush
hours, when II Is estimated that up
wards OF 100000 people pass the prin-
cipal downtown corners. To thor
oughly and permanently relieve the
congestion now existing and daily in
creasing will require new rapid tran
sit facilities on each OF the six great
thoroughfares leading out Of the heart
of downtown Detroit. Any plan TO
be first adopted should include ample
provision for such extensions as will
ultimately afford equal facilities to all
parts OF the city. Although 1t would
not be feasible from a financial stand
point to build at one time complete
system OF rapid transit subways as
ultimately proposed, nevertheless a
beginning can be made on Woodward
ave, with downtown stations aud
terminals 80 designed to readily &C.
commodate future lines on Gratiot,
Michigan, Grand River, Forrest west,
and Jefferson-ave.
with such comprehensive rapid
transit system the present and future
surface lines would act as feeders to
collect passengers from the outlying
districts and deposit them at col.
venient points on the subway after
which few minutes ride would reach
any desired downtown point.
An outer belt or crosstown surface
line approximately parallel to the
( pTebtHI III duu"UlNu, WOulu, Ill con-
junction with such a system of sub
ways render conveniently accessible
to the business district large part
OF the city now comparatively re-
mote. and which can never be ade.
quately served by surface lines alone
Such a crosstown line would also
make unnecessary the trip through
the downtown section to many work.
men now employed In the manufacture
ing district This would, in the minds
of most Detroit srs, complete a scheme
OF transit facilities sufficiently com.
prehensive for Detroit's needs for
many years TO come.
For the present therefore your
lcommlttee has confined itself princl
pally to the study of plans for a sub
way under Wtodwardea, or an ad.
joining street, always considering the
ultimate expan sion of tn system into
the other radial- thoroughfares. Aside
from the problems involved in the
downtown district, where the princl
pal discharge point will be located
the chief questions that arise are az
to the location OF present under
ground utilities, water mains, con
Quits. pipes and lateral sewers, which
would be disturbed or removed durine
the construction OF a subway. The
large trunk sewer under Woodward
lave. is at such a depth that Il will
lprobably be little disturbed by sub
lway construction.
The question has been raised as