The Detroit times., 1915-03-11

York elevated lines average haul Is
4.16 miles and the subway's Is 5.57
miles. the report says:
I'm order to produce SUFFICIENT
earnings from the 50,O00.00o total
passengers TO meet the expenses and
the fixed charges, from fares col
lected from 2s,000,0O0 revenue pas
|scngers, together with 100000
subway passengers taking a street
car transfer and 100000 passen-
gers received by the subway trans
fer from the street cars, 1t will be
necessary to charge FIVE cents for
single subway ride and six cents
for subway and street car trans
fer ride combined. In order TO COM
pensate the. street car lines for their
share in the haul, an allowance for
the number OF passengers origina-
ting on the street car lines must be
made on the basis OF seven tickets
balance of the earnings to be cred
tied 10 the subway would just meet
the above s2.0O0,O0O figure fixed
charges and operating expensesl,
leaving practically no profit. The
above rate OF fares would mean that
passenger would be required to
gay five cents for a subway ride.
against 3.57 cents by suface cars
under tho present seven for quar-
ter fare and general transfer privi-
lsges. The actual average receipt
1 for total passengers carried In 1914
by the entire street railway system
was reported by the company as
2.5G cents. The above subway rates
OF fare would tend to discourage the
use OF this system so as to postpone
the realization of the 50,000,000 es-
Inmates traffic much beyond the pc
RODS OF time here discussed.
Traffic Not Sufficient.
ITO develop such subway to It's
real capacity and maximum useful.
ness. 1t should be possible to ride on
Il in connection with the other street
car lines by universal transfer and
equal faro. There Is not sufficient
volume of long haul travel now in
existence, nor apparently in imme-
date prospect, to support an indie
pendent subway service on separ-
ate five-cent fare basis.
"In order, therefore, to make the
street railways In Detroit. combined
with long subway on the heaviest
traffic street, a financially self-sup-
porting system. a material increase
in fare over the whole city will be
necessary"
The survey also points out that
subway would tend 10 increase the
concentration of population and bus
mess along Woodward-ave., north OF
Grand Circus park.
There would be a still greater
ratio OF growth In the district lying
outside Of the city limits" says the
report. as the effect of the higher
speed service would be to practical.
ly bring that district In point OF
time one-third nearer the center OF
the city than 1t is at present. Un-
less Highland park was taken into
the city the increased values sub
ject to taxes would be Of no benefit
to the city of Detroit. Furthermore,
this concentration of increased value
would be made somewhat at the ex.
pense OF the other districts within
the city limits"
The report says that the looked
for increase IN the city's population
will be taken care OF In apartment
houses within the city limits, If no
radical change is made in the trans
portation lines"
Regarding a short subway. the re-
port says:
From a traffic standpoint. the ma
tural first step would appear to be
the construction OF short section
OF the subway in the congested dis
trict.
"A solution OF the problem would
lie In the construction OF subway
loop for street cars. Such a short
subway Is indicated In the drawings
In Part 4 OF this report. showing a
portal for the entrance and the exit
at Grand Circus park. While such
a subway would have but little earn.
ing capacity, II would, nevertheless.
be of relatively small cost, probably
about s2,500,000, making an annual
interest charge OF s125,000. This in
vestment would be Of general bene-
AZ to all OF the travelling public in
Detroit. regardless of locality. as a
permanent form Of relief from the
increasing street congestion"
Belle Isle Bridge Plan.
Concerning the Belle Isle bridge,
the report has this TO say:
The necessity OF separating the
vehicle traffic east and west on JEFF
ferson-ave., from the conflicting traf-
&c on the island has led us TO rec
ommend an underpass for vehicles
from the Grand-blvd. to the bridge
approach
The situation is complicated by
the Inadequate capacity OF the pres
emit bridge Our recommendation