The sun., 1916-11-28
CARS GO AT SNAIL'S
SPEED ON BROADWAY
Trollcys Take Hour and Quar-
ter From City Hall to
Odd street.
VEHICLES ARE BARRED
Fifth Avenue Construction
Work Delays Traffic in
Busiest Hours.

| What traffic congestion and the i'm
,.rfect condition Of Manhattan's main
travel arteries have lone toward reduce
,rs the whirlwind speed Of the own
70 the PACE Of n snail may he gathered
from the experiences Of THE Sun re-
porters yesterday.
One hour and fifteen minutes was
,souired for IA trip on n Broadway sur
face car betveen CITY Hall and Twenty
third street.
rxenty-six minutes was used up In
an automobile ride on Fifth ven from
ror,y-,hird to Thirty-third street. ex-
actiy one-half mile.
A man on clutches completed the
distance on Fifth avenue minutes be-
fore ore reporter reached his Thirty
third street objective. On Broadway a
blind man pounded his way between
Union Square and Thirty-third street
faster than the man in the street car.
4 These travel times are not exceptional.
Unless something In done within the
next week the time between the points
will be even greater.
On Broadway the car had TO halt
every few feet either &c wait until
laborers asphalted between the tracks
or 10 give other workers opportunity to
put down or tear W the planking that
makes the greater part OF Broadway's
length. This work continued undated
during the busiest hours OF the day.
After nightfall II was stopped.
Impossible for Tramc.
Between Twenty-third street and
' rhirty-fourth street the whole of Broad.
way except the car tracks was i'm
passable for vehicular traffic. Only the
tanks used abroad could have ridden
over the obstacles set up between those
points. This blocking halted what nor
mally is Broadway's busiest section.
On Fifth avenue the time was taken
\ between $50 and 4:ls z. NJ. This time
Is the high point in the th~oroughfare's
traffic. Despite that. some one found
II necessary to have repair work done
At Thlriy-fourth street-work that cut
he channel of travel exactly In half.
At Fortieth street and T~hirty-eighth
street on Fifth avenue this time was
selected for the opening of conduit man
holes on the west side of the highway.
These openings cut eight feet on the
,ran'c lane. AS on Broadway, the work
stopped at dusk.
In the t~wenty-siN minutes OF Fifth
avenue travel the entire southbound
I traffic was damned twice between Forty.
second and Thirty-fourth streets. I,
was blocked once between T%hirty-second
and Fort!eth streets on the n%orthbound
side.
For Amos the entire length of the
avenue. between Forty-third and Thirty.
fourth streets. cars were halted against
The curb on both sides. These cut ter
feet from the roadway. Just above
mlrty-siXth street a huge moving var
anchored itself. Most OF these vehicles
remained standing for more than a hall
hour
slow Time NJ 4!d street.
II took ten minutes to travel along the
svenue from Forty-fourth to Forty.
second street. Five minutes more wa.
consumed in getting to Forty-frst street
and another two minutes to reaci
Fortieth street. Young Mr.. Oliphant Of
\ the Army team gained more ground II
his first run last Saturday thar any We,
hicle covered In a single start.
During the period these observation,
we're made there were other Longitudinal
arteries that could have accommodates
some ~ the traffic without the leas
crowding. Madison avenue. for instance
had only slight use. Sixth avenue wa.
well hlled with delivery traffic. but couI,
have gathered in some of the Fifth ave
nue. vehicles with ease, Eighth ven
lad many vacant spaces. Broadway be
eaus" Of it's upheaved condition coul,
not have taken any more trafic than |
held In the afternoon hours.
' The Broadway paving committee me
Yesterday in the office Of Borough Presi
dent Marks and was so divided In III
opinion as to the type of pavement tina
should he used in Broadway from Nese,
street to Ffftieth street that Presiden
Marks refused to take a vote on the sub
sect and adjourned the meeting unit
Friday afternoon.
Three Kinds Proposed.
representatives of trucking and com
nercial interests argued for a grant
block, as being safer for horses an
trucks. The Rev. Dr. Charles Levi
, %Slattery, rector of Grace Church, and
delegation from the church. maintaine
tina. wood block or some other noiseles
pavement would he better. Other In
,ercsts insisted that asphalt would b
superior 10 cither granite or wood blocl
The Borough President was OF tn
opinion that "A compromise should be ef
' fected between the three factions. an
stated that at the next meeting he woul
propose thai lower Broadway be pave
with granite block, the space near Grac
Church with wood block, and h re
malnd"r with asphalt.
Among tie civic organizations whic
arc supporting THE SUNS crusade 10
improved street traffic conditions Is IN
Broadway ASSOCIATION. TIE executiH
secretary. T.. W. Estes. said yesterda
that his organization Is taking great IN
ier"st m the movement. n that tn
sUN should receive the cordial support G
every GOOD citizen In trying to have cor
duOns improved.
success In Cooperation.