The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-09-23

hSTeeM6uG Win Inc COIuHlOu COuHChi HOS
fled with the city engineer plans Of the
commission for the elevation of the
tracks Of the Chicago and Northwestern
Railway company through Kenosha.
With the plans he sent complete state
ment of the position Of the commission
in regard to the proposed separation
of grades in Kenosha This statement
is decidedly interesting as it shows just
what is proposed for Kenosha by the
commission and offers some suggestion
as to the cost Of carrying out the plan.
The statement Of the engineer follows:
TO the Honorable Mayor and City
Council, Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Dear Sirs:
| am sending you under separate
cover a print showing in colors the
proposed scheme for elevation Of the
tracks Of the G. & N. w. Railway
Company through the city of Kenosha.
This print is an exact duplicate of the
print ON file in our Office and which
was used at the conference in the city
hdbll Oll OhO ONCIllilS VI hOOPbCulDOl u "
as well as at previous meetings.
think it will be necessary to build
a new street at point a short dis
tance west of the tracks and parallel
thereto from Division street south,
possibly as far as Lemon street. The
construction of this street would, in
my opinion, relieve the necessity for
subways at the streets which are
shown closed on the plan and should
be considered as a part Of the track
elevation scheme. 1t could be built
close enough to the tracks to- permit
a reversal of frontage for houses now
facing the tracks, and thereby in
crease values for residence or indus
trial purposes.
At the meeting on the evening of
September 3rd, some Of the aldermen
did not appear to be fully familiar
with the various items to which we
give consideration in working out a
plan for the elimination of grade cross
ings; and for that reason [ wish to
state in a general way the various
items which necessarily require atten-
tion in such project, and certain
features by which we are necessarily
governed
In determining which streets shall
be supplied with subways and which
shall be closed, the basic principle is
to obtain plan which will leave the
streets in condition reasonably ade-
quate for the use of the city for its
various purposes, taking into account
the use to which the property in the
particular territory in question is put.
Consideration must be given to the
needs of industries and the necessity
for sufficient distance between subways
to permit the construction of industry
tracks. Consideration is also given to
the cost of the project, and in case of
streets of somewhat minor Importance
located near proposed subways, the
question of the cost of the subway to-
gether with interference with industry
spurs is balanced against the CON
v9niences to- the public of having the
subway installed Even in cases where
the entire cost of proposed structure
would fall upon the railway company,
it is undesirable to require such an
expenditure unless reasonable public
necessity requires it. In residence
territory where, in general, person
has choice Of several streets in tray-
cling to and from his customary des-
tinations, it is not considered neces-
sary to have subways at each street as
only very few persons would be in
convenienced by closing certain ones.
if man living on Hanson street, west
of the tracks, desires to go to the city,
he at present probably goes east on
Hanson street, across the tracks until
he reaches one of the important thor
oughfares, and follows it to the city.
Under the proposed plan with Hanson
street closed and the new street open
ed parallel to the tracks, he would suf-
fer no inconvenience as he would 90
south on the new street to the first
subway, thence east to the important
thoroughfare as before. In case he
wished to go from point on Hanson
street to another point on Hanson
street east of the tracks he would of
course be Inconvenience to the extent
of an additional two blocks of travel;
but in our opinion such travel is rare,
and should not weigh heavily in com
parison with the large cost of an add
tional subway at Hanson street. In
this neighborhood under consideration,
there are several small factories and
the territory lends itself fairly we'll to
others of the same type. With sub
way at each street it would be impos-
sble to serve these small factories
with reasonable railroad facilities
while, ON the othe~ hand, il these
streets are closed as proposed, it will