New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-26
SEEKS HASTE IN
TRANSIT WORK
Bronx Board of Trade
Urges Speedy Compile
ton of New Routes.
LEXINGTON AV. LINE
CAUSE OF DELAY
Section OF Subway Below SD
St. Will Hold Back Early
Operations.

The Traffic and Waterways Bureau
Of the Bronx Board Of Trade, Of which
Olin J. Stephens Is chairman, has urged
the Public Service Commission TO bring
about tho speedy completion Of the new
rapid transi. routes TO The Bronx now
under construction.
Last month the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company stated that the work
on the new lines In The Bronx was
nearing completion that the third
tracking Of the Manhattan elevated
roads would be completed by the mid
dis Of January, that from SD ST. and
Lexington av. to l3eth st. and Mott av.,
In The Bronx, II Is 81 per cent COM
pleted; that the western branch from
13Sth st. TO 18TH st. and Jerome av. Is
97.7 per cent completed, that the Js-
rome av. extension from 18TH St to
1s2d ST. Is e7.S per cent completed; that
the portion from l92d at. to Woodlawn
is 95.2 per cent completed; that the
Southern Boulevard and Westchester
av. extension from Mott sv. to Ban
croft ST. is 77.6 per cent completed, and
that the White Plains Road extension
from a connection with the present
subway at l79th st. and Boston Road
to East 24lst St is S9.S per cent COM
peted.
The part Of the work that will hold
back the early operations Of the ma
jority Of these lines Is on the Broad
way-L Lexington av. line below 63d st.
While the sections above this point arc
in nearly every case about e5 per cent
completed, this section, which must be
finished IL traffic Is to flow TO and from
The Bronx and Grand Central over
these routes, Is only 81 per cent fn-
ished.
In order that the congestion existent
on the present subway and elevated
lines be abated these new lines must
be operated as soon as possible, wholly
or In part. The Bronx Board OF Trade
Is urging the operation Of the Broad
way-Lexington ay. line from the Grand
Central to and into The Bronx.
The construction Of the Webster av
extension Is now being advertised, and
the Public Service Commission expects
/ to be In q position to receive bids FOL
this work by January l.
The menace to human life caused
by the narrow platforms of the Third
av. elevated station at 149th St, which
the Board of Trade recently pointed
out to the Public Service Commission
Is being taken care Of by that body. A
suggestion has been made that the
erection Of entrances and exits at the
south end Of the station at 14Sth st
will solve the problem.
Another suggestion Is that the In
| terborough be compelled to erect two
| island stations, one for the northbounc
and one for southbound traffic, similar
to the station at l25th st. and Eighth
av., TO extend from 1s8th ct. to West
chester av. When 1t is recalled that
this station Is the centre Of the heavi'
est traffic highways In the greater city
with the exception Of a few intersect-
ing streets in lower Manhattan, the alb
solute necessity for prompt action Is
realized.
1t Is understood that the engineer
ing department of the commission, to-
gether with that of the lnterborough
IL looking into the question of increas-
ing the facilities Of this station. The
great question to be solved Is how to
accommodate the people who desire
to transfer from the subway to tbs
elevated, and vice versa. Two tenn
porary wooden bridges have been
placed across the centre or express
track which is not "a yet in use. This
permits the eQualizing OF the crowds
on the two platforms, and consequently
furnishes additional means Of ingrcss
and egress. While that is but tenn
porary expedient, 1t was able TO be
adopted at once TO give relief.
The Board Of Trade is urging that
no unnecessary delay take place to give
this relief.