New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-06
CAR LINE FIGHTS
FOR 18th STREET
N. Y, Railways Company
Asks Franchise from
Park TO Broadway.
THOROUGHFARE PART
OF RESTRICTED AREA
Residents Counsel Says City
Would Act in Bad Faith if Ii
Permitted Project.

Senator Ogden l.. Mills opened the
hearing yesterday before the Board OF
Estimate on the granting Of franchise
90 the New York Railways Company to
operate surface crosstown line
through West Eighty-sixth Street from
the terminal of the transverse road
across Central Park az Central Park
West to nearly the easterly line of
Broadway. Senator Mills represented
residents on the upper East Side who
want the new line.
There ere only two lines running
from river TO river between Ffty-ninth
Street and l25th Street" he said. at
is impossible 70 cross the city without
walking a long distance The extern
sion Of ,his line would be a great con-
yenienco to a great many persons on
the East Side as we'll as the West Side
New York has all too few transit lines.
They should be extended wherever pos
sible. Those who need this new line
are many and those who will be ad-
versely affected are few"
Assemblyman Mark Goldberg and
Maurice Bloch and Alderman Gilmore
were among others who advocated the
extension as a convenience TO East
Side residents. a strong opposition de-
yclopcd to the granting Of the fran
ohise. Henry DeForest Baldwin, ap-
pearng for property owners in Eighty
sixth Street IN opposition to tho fran
chise, declared that the proposed ex-
tension would not begin to solve the
problem Of crosstown travel in that
part of the city.
Former Judge Thomas L. Feitner and
Kerner Easton, representing property
owners, declared that the New York
Railways Company was n "discredited
applicant" They asserted that the
company sought merely 20 hurt the
New York Motor Bus Company, which
was reported favorably TO the Board Of
Estimate for a franchise to operate
new bus lines, in preference TO the
Fifth Avenue Coach Company, a sub
sidiary Of the Railways company. They
contcndcd that the application for the
'crOsstOwn franchise had not been
made until the Fifth Avenue Coach
Company had practically been turned
down by the transit committee Of the
Board Of Estimate.
Mr.. Baldwin pointed out that Eighty
sixth and other streets had been laid
out as park streets and that the city
was honor bound 10 keep its faith with
property owners Property improve
mcnts had been made because the
owners banked on the good faith Of
the city, he said.
"Ihe property owners have acted In
the belief that this street was 10 be
retained as park street" said Mr..
Baldwin. rs the city TO go back upon
its former definite policy Of city plan
ming? There is an obligation to the
property owners"
Assistant United States Attorney
Carstarphen, counsel for Frederick
Lewis, %, owner Of n large apartment
house in West Eighty-siXth Street,
voiced q vigorous objection. He said
that New York was already a city Of
dreadful noises and that now it was
proposed to keep people awake by
building "the stub end terminal of
car line directly under their windows.
AFT this car line is not built" said
Mr.. Carstarphen, 1T will mean only a
walk of q few blocks. Well, We In New
York do not walk enough. Our transit
lines are good enough 80 that we walk
too little. We are getting fat because
we DO not walk enough
James l.. Quackenbush, counsel for
the New York Railways Company, eX-