New-York tribune., 1913-11-17
CENTRE STREET LOOP
FAILS TO END CRUSH
Brooklyn Bridge Presents Same
Old Rush in Spite of
New Route.
NO RELIEF IN SIGHT
Railway Company Holds Public
Service Commission Respon-
sible for Delay in Complet-
ing Extra Tracking.

The condition long and familiarly known
as the bridge crush" still exists. as some
hundred thousand or more Brooklynltes
who have TO use the old Brooklyn Bridge
TO get home at night will readily TESTIFY.
Rush hour is the same old bugbear, not
withstanding the hopes which were held
out three months ago, when the Centre
street loop, which extends from Cham
bers street 10 the Williamsburg Bridge,
was put in operation.
The Centre street loop, according to
figures furnished by the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company. has resulted in small
decrease of traffic over the old bridge by
Giverting passengers over the Williams
burg route. and few more trains have
been added on one or two Of the lines,
but the change is a minor one.
Officials Of the Department of Bridges,
the Public Service Commission and the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company all ad-
NIT that as a solution OF the bridge crush
problem the new loop. built at cost OF
100000. is n failure and I'm the Bridge
Department and the Public Service Com
mission there is n growing skepticism as
to there being any relief in the near
future.
In some quarters ii is not thought that
matters will be greatly helped even when
the trains can 30 directly into the Centre
street subway from the old bridge along
a continuous route to the Williamsburg
Bridge Work is now going on making
this connection, at cost Of siOS,S53. II
10 ..rslfi nj ly
July l.
1t was admitted by the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit people that while the operation
Of the Centre street loop had proved a
success as an accommodation 10 the
crowds who get on at the Centre street
loop stations at Chambers and Canal
streets and the Bowery. there were still
the same crowds battling and struggling
to get on the trains Of the old structure.
Instead Of being a solution OF the prop
lem, the Centre street loop bids fair, II
was said. TO develop a problem Of its own
"The traffic there" said an official Of
the company yesterday. rs increasing
IL ought TO mean that they come from
class that formerly used the old bridge,
because the great increase is at the
Chambers street station where there has
been a 1OO per cent increase. We take IN
$50 a day there, where we took I'm at the
beginning only 500 We don't know
whore the people come from It's almost
a mystery"
OF the three agencies the Bridge Conn
mission. the Public Service Commission
and the railway company. In whose mer-
oies the Brooklyn travelling public is. the
railway company is the most sanguine or
the future The engineers OF the Brook
lyn Rapid Transit system believe that the
actual looping of the two bridges is going
10 make material difference. The com
pany is looking forward 10 the compile
ton Of the connection. and will. II IS
understood. be ready for the operation Of
trains running in both directions as soon
as the Bridge Commission turns the tun-
mel over. II there is any delay, II Is un-
derstood that the railway company will
lay the responsibility on the Public Ser
vice Commission.
The railway company has been ready
to equip the present Centre street loop
with the extra tracking, which Is pro-
vided for I'm its construction. and the CON
tract is still unexecuted by the commis-
sion. Complete relief II was said yes
terday. could not be promised by the
railway company until the Public Service
Commission places the Brooklyn Fourth
avenue subway at its disposal. This Will
take more than Q year. and 1t VIII ne
nearly three years before connections are
made so that Brighton Beach trains can
use the Manhattan Bridge.
The Bridge Commissioner. Arthur j.
O'Keeffe, and his chief engineer do not
share the view OF the Brooklyn RAPID
Transit engineers that an actual loop In
operation. giving a real circulation u
train movements. Is of vital importance.
They said yesterday they thought ;hat
the ending Of congestion was dependent
on extensive changes.
In the offices Of the Public Service
Commission the loop operation was said
20 be Of such small moment as solu-
ton OF the bridge crush problem that 1t
was hardly TO be considered.