Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-29
DISCUSS STATE
ST. SUBWAY PLAN
CONTINUED From First Page.l

problem is clearly set forth by Edward
S. Herman, president of the commits
sion, to-day in a brief statement.
President Herman explained the COM
missions views to-day in answer to
the statement of the Walnut street
bridge hackers yesterday. The state
ment follows:
Considerable misunderstanding by
the friends of the Walnut street via
duct about the position or attitude or
| the City Planning Commission appears
to exist. The commission has never
been opposed to viaduct. Our OBJ
lection has been based entirely upon
location. We firmly believe that State
street is the proper place TO erect the
connecting link between the Hill sec
ton and the city proper.
Our thought for the welfare of
the Hill section is fully demonstrated
by analyzing our first report to Coun-
Gil The elimination of grade crossing
at Vine and Paxton street should and
will prove a great benefit to the busi-
nessmen all over the Hill in general,
and to the southern section in particu-
lar. The widening of the Market
street subway must be direct benefit
to the central portion, and the placing
of subway or viaduct at State street
will, in our judgment, provide the
proper place and means for traffic of
that section.
After reading the statement of the
Walnut Street Viaduct Association, II
is clear that the City Planning Com
mission and the bridge association
agree upon all points except location
and probable cost. In the latter con-
nection it may be noted that the state
ment carefully refrains from men
tioning the approaches.
THE question OF either a subway or
a viaduct at State street is not mat
ter of the distant future, it is a mat
ter of the immediate future and it Is
safe to assume that definite action in
this respect must be taken in view of
the development of the park extern
sion zone and the plans of the State
to lay out the park zone. These mat
ters are not problems that can be
gauged by months so far as time is
concerned; however. it must not be
forgotten that Harrisburg has made
all its wonderful improvements in a
little less than fifteen years and these
improvements involved the eXpendi
ture of millions of dollars. Is 1t rea-
soanble to expect that the proposed
Improvement will drag along over any
thing like an indefinite period under
these circumstances?
Reasons For Opposition
1.-The Planning Commission does not
want to deny to the Hill any addi-
tional facilities; in fact, feels that
the IaClUlleS SnOulu De lnCTedSeQS at
the same time, we feel that Walnut
street would be very unfortunate
location for the following reasons:
First. 1t is too close to Market
street. where, of necessity, a recon-
structed subway must be carried
through.
Second. 1t will prevent the widen
ing of Walnut street to los feet, since
there will be no incentive to improve
this street by adding additional space
when the widened street will lead into
a narrow viaduct
Third. The cost of constructing a
viaduct or subway at State street,
which in our opinion, is more desir-
able, would in the item of consequen-
tial damages be very considerably less.
Fourth. We are convinced that
State street is the logical location. and
while a subway was suggested by the
a practical or engineering standpoint,
we certainly would favor a bridge.
Another reason for State street is that
State street is the axis of the park
system, and eventually will be the
great boulevard to the East, while
Walnut street will be the same width
that it is at the present time, and traf-
fic would be diverted from the big
wide State street on to Thirteenth
street and thence into Walnut.
Fifth We must bear in mind that
the Capitol Park Extension will, when
completed, entirely change the charac-
ter of this locality. 1t will become a
thoroughfare in all that the word inn
plies.
sixth. Subways in general must
not be compared with the Market
street subway in particular. The new
Second street subway is a much better
example"