The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-09-19
WHAT TRACK
ELEVATION DID FOR
Fl. WAYNE II GAN
DO FOR HAMMOND

Fort Wayne, Ind, Sept. 19.-FortI
Wayne is just completing the first half
OF the elevation of the Wabash and
Pennsylvania tracks through the city.
and as the work has been done at a
remarkably low cost to the city and |
with strikingly good results and under |
law which can be applied to any |
town in the state, the story OF the |
Fort Wayne work should be of inter |
est to every Indiana municipality that
is afflicted with grade crossings. Sew
eral features of the local work stand
out as being particularly remarkable.
1. So far the work has cost S750.000
outside OF 100000 which the roads will
pay for new stations here, and the
city Of Fort Wayne has so far paid
but $54.520 toward the cost. The total
cost of the track elevation work will
not exceed $4,000
2. Owing to the elevation of the
tracks II has been possible to connect
the two ends of Harrison street, form
erly divided by the railroads, by means
of subway under the tracks. The
opening of this subway has doomed
alone TO the extent of s250000.
3. The Pennsylvania railroad is
erecting a new $500, 600 station here
as result of a contract growing out
OF the track elevation work whereby
the city permitted the road to lay four
additional tracks across Calhoun street
with the result that. in turn. the road
would erect this station. Following
the commencement of work on the
Pennsylvania station the Wabash road
also got busy and has begun the erec-
ton OF a station to cost 100000.
4. Before track elevation corn
menced the wabash and Pennsylvania
railroads formed a Chinese wall be-
tween the southern and northern Sec
tions OF the city. With the dangerous
grade crossing eliminated the south
sdde-the city's great residence sec
tion-has doomed wonderfully. 1t is
conservatively estimated that the in
crease in property values on the south
side. due entirely to track elevation.
has been at least $4,000. 900. At least a
score OF big new additions in that part
of town have been readily sold since
track elevation started
Track elevation was talked of for a
long time in Fort Wayne before any
thing was actually done In 1906 the
first real steps toward the elimination
OF the citys dangerous grade crossings
were taken. when the passage of a law
by the Legislature was obtained which
provided for track elevation in Fort
Wayne and provided that the city
should pay 35 per cent of the cost of
the work, while the railroads paid 65
per cent.
1t was also specified in the law thai
the cost Of new ties, rails, grading
etc, made necessary, by track elevation
should be considered as part of the
works cost and should be apportionet
between the railroads and the city.
1t also stated that all approach
work and laying of pavement, side
walks, etc. should not be considered
part of the cost OF track elevation anc
should be borne by the city outside o
its percentage of the other cost This
of course. was more favorable to tn
railroads than it to the city.
The city officials felt that the legis
lature could do better by the city than
this, so they went before the solons
and demanded the passage of anothe
law which would be more favorable t.
Fort Wayne. This the legislature di
in the year 1907.
In 1911 It was found that the law N
longer applied to Fort Wayne owinf
to the city having increased greatly IL
population In the meantime so anoth e.
law was passed applicable to For
Wayne. This law was identical will
the 1907 statute with the exception o
the clause regarding the city's popu
lation.
walton work was apportioned betweel
the railroads and Fort Wayne In thi