The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-08-19
PUTS IN TWO NEW SIDEWAYS
Commission Works Out Plan for Depot
Platform by Putting Subway Under
Fremont Avenue People Must Agree
on Plan or Commission VIII Quit.

Railroad Commissioner Walter Alex
ander of Milwaukee rather tartly told
some Of the officials Of Kenosha this
morning that the separation Of railway
grades by the elevation of tracks was
planned as a benefit to whole city
rather than meeting the private de-
mands of widely scattered private
property owners. The commissioner
before he made this statement had
Aeard a lot of arguments against new
plan for the elevation of the tracks Of
the Chicago and North. Western through
the city which has been worked out
by the commission after mature con-
sideration. He was not peeved or dis
turbed but he said:
If you people want to insist on Civ
ing nothing and taking all we might
just as well go home and call this mat
ter off. 1t has been the idea of the
commission to work out the best pos
sible plan for the elevation of tracks
in Kenosha. We want to be shown
where our plan can be bettered and
we are willing to make immediate
changes. However, these changes can
not be made unless it is shown to be
for the benefit of the public in general.
This plan is made, not to meet the de-
mands of the railway company or a
few property owners, but it is made
after q careful survey of the lay of
the land and after considerable
study of the possibilities of your
future city.e We want suggestions for
It's betterment."
Commissioner Alexander declared
that he could make no statement as
to when the order of the commission
would be issued. He declared that he
was hopeful that the people in Keno
sha would see the wisdom of getting
together and agreeing among them
selves SO that the order of the com
mission when it was issued would meet
with approval. He let it be under
stood, however, that the commission
was issuing the order and that it had
lot of very excellent engineering
data on which to base it.
The new plan proposed by the com
mission differs materially from the
plan offered by the railway company
and it imposes on the company many
additional burdens.
cit has been the rule of the com.
mission" said Mr.. Alexander, "to
provide for separation of grades and
not partial separation. We believe
that a partial separation Of grades is
lot more dangerous than real separa-
ton of grades and we are going to in
sist that this can be done right
This statement was made in defense
of the new plan of the commission for
what is known as the depot elevation
and this portion of the plan caused
more discussion than any other. The
commission has solved the problem at
the station by eliminating the subways
both at Pearl street and at Garden
street and in place subway at the
Fremont avenue crossing of the Keno
sha division lines. In defense of this
plan the commissioner and Engineer
Larson of the commission, who explain
ed the plans in detail, showed that il
would be possible for people from the
west side to reach the east side with
out taking any extra steps and in per.
feet safety. The commission plan pro-
vides for a foot subway under the
tracks at Garden streets. This foot
subway, however, is not strongly urged
by the commission as it was held that
it was pretty certain to be good deal
of nuisance. The depot plan pro
vides for double the teaming space
provided for in the original plan of
elevation and it is held that this will be
a great Improvement for shipping.
The plan of the commission provided
all the subways provided in the original
proposed plan with the exception Of
the one at Pearl street. In addition it
provides subways at Selma, avenue on
the extreme south limits of the city.
at Fremont avenue under the western
division tracks and at Broad street on
the north of the line. This is consid-
cradle of a concession to the property
owners and will add some forty thous-
and dollars to the cost of elevation.
South street, Wisconsin street Lemon.
Hansen and North street are not in
Guided in the subway plan. sugges-
tions were made by various aldermen
of the need of subways under roads
both on the north and on the south of
the depot elevation and Commissioner
Alexander explained that the issuance
Of the first order would not close the
way for these subways, but that an
appeal could be made to the, commits.
sion for the installation of such sub
ways at any time that there was shown
10 be real need Of them. He held
hat in places where the streets we're
lot opened to the west of the tracks
hat it was difficult for the commission
0 see the need Of subways.