New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-01
Public Service Commits.
sion Adopts New Plan
Under Goth Street.
LINE TO EXTEND
FROM FIFTH AVENUE
Will Form a Connection with
Broadway Tube and Proposed
Tunnel to Queens.

Service Commission to substitute A.,
tunnel route for the greensboro Brid,,
for the connection between the Bro,s
way subway in Manhattan. to be Omar.
ated by the New York Municipal Rail
way Corporation, and the new rand
transit lines in Queens Borough. Ia,
week the Public Service Commis,io,
acceded to the request, and adopted
new rapid transit route, 10 be known =,
Route No. 81, providing for the con.
struction Of two-track subway f,o-
Fifth av., under Goth So, 70 the E,e
River. and under the Eas; River 70
connection with the new elevated rs,s
transit lines on the Queens plaza u
the greensboro Bridge.
The commission took quick sc,io,
because of the time already lost in dis.
cussing this question. More than six
months ago, namely, in December, 1914,
the Degnon Contracting Company pro.
posed a change from the bridge toa
tunnel. and submitted the proposition
10 the Board Of Estimate and Appor.
tionment. On February 10, 1915, the
Board of Estimate adopted resolutions
requesting the Public Service Comrnis-
sion to submit plan for a tunnel and
10 prepare for Introduction IN the Leg.
islature such amendments 20 the rapid
transit act as you'd be necessary 70
enable the city to make the change. also
requesting the commission 70 lay o..
the new route so as 70 provide for two
tracks in Goth ST., east Of Fifth sy., In.
stead of one track through 60th st.
and one through 18th a., IS eonten.
mated By the dual system plans.
The commission immcd .ately caused
20 be introduced IN the Legislature 4
bill amending the rapid transit law in
accordance with the suggestions from
the Board Of Estimate, and that bill
was enacted into law The proposed
cnange in plans was submitted 70 rs
CHIEF engineer, Alfred Craven, who
made r,ports thereon March I and
March q.
Thu chairman of the commission on
June i, 1915, sent letter 20 the Board
Of Estimate and Apportlonment, trans.
hitting the reports made by the chef
engineer. In that letter the Chairman
pointed out that the dual system con-
tracts lad been signed on Maren H.
1913, and thai actual construction WORK
was going on lH accordance with ne
plans adopted COR the use Of the
Greensboro Bridge In tre opinion Of
its chief engineer. % VAS unwlse 70
change the plans first, -ecause OF the
greater construction cost % the tunnel,
and. second, because Of the delay i
would entail m the completion and
operation Of the Broadway subway.
The chairman thought X unnecessary
TO state what The commissions aeuon
would be were it not Tor the expressed
desire of the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment, adding, The eommls-
sion is prepared 20 20 forward sltn
the project as outlined, but before
doing so desires that the Board OF rs
innate and Apportionment should have
before it the carefully considered opln'
ion of the chief engineer OF the com
mission" copies OF whose reports were
transmitted. The chairman stated tha'
the commission was H. entire agree
ment with the views of It's chief en-
gineer in regard 70 the matters OF ex'
pense and delay. II the commission;
advice was correct, the proposed
change would be fraught with grave
financial consequences 20 the city. Inc
chairman asked for an expression OF
the views of the Board Of Estimate on
these matters, and promised IN the
mean time that the commissions en-
gineers would continue the preliminary
steps, such as taking borlngs Tor me
tunnel, making route plans, etc
The Board of Estimate on July q, a.
stated, adopted further resolutions de,
claring that at is still the opinion 2,
the board that ultimate economy VIII
best be served through the suosu'E
ton of tunnel connection for the prr
posed connection across Queensoon
Bridge" The resolutions requested tns
commission 70 submit a new rspla
transit route east of Fifth ay., tnrouga
Goth st. and under the East River
the Greensboro Plaza. This aeuSn
was taken subject 70 the consent o. Vh'
New York Municipal Railway CorpoIs
ton to the change in plan ana u.
consequent increase in the cost OF US
construction Of the line, which II IS "
operate under the dual system con
tracts. III
Under the provisions Of the rapdd
transit act the Board Of Estimate ara
Apportionment. which last week "
ceived the new route and general p.An'
must set day for its consideraugIi
within ten days, and must AXE ma
action approving or disapprovlng we
route within sixty days. Assuming
that favorable action will be taken tns
commissions engineers have osgua
work upon the detailed plans; lhss'
plans, il is understood, can be eoi.,,
pleted sufficiently for the beginning ';
work within four months proY'asss
they are given the right OF way " Wv
engineering department OF the 0.i.
mission. II this is done, however ~
chief engineer states that u VIII hsS
essarily cause some delay in plans ~.
other sections which are now uhu..
way. and some of which would Rave
be neglected temporarily 4 me Vuss''
tunnel plans are pushed ahead It'd
The original dual system piah 'a 10y
for the construction Of a t"0-,la,
subway from Seventh Az, Manhs'.o.
through 59th ST. TO Fifth ay' Whs"S'
one track continues through 9s'h
and the other through 6Otn 81 70 a~
over the Queensboro Bridge, wnieh vi
to be reconstructed 20 10 u ior ISg.s
transit operation. The contract loi -.
construction of this section OF the 49,
way was awarded by the commiscs or.
in November. 1914, TO the Degnoh. ~ ~
tracing Company, the lowest p''''''
for S2,sl9.5l1. .,i
Work was begun early this year, 49, y.
on July last about 10 per cent o. ~. ~,
total value of the contract hsd W :,
completed Work upon the os'h
portion east of Fifth av. was suspenasssy
in March so as TO save the CITY ne
if the proposed change was adopi1 n
Mr.. Degnon's proposal to the Board y !,
Estimate and Apportionment is thm .,,,
will deduct 100000 from the ~
amount OF his bid for this section