The sun., 1916-02-15
OUEENSBORO BRIDGE.
Rcpave Roadway. Reserve Trolle!
Tracks, Long Island city Urges.


records uf the Board of Estimate VIII
show that the Chamber Of Commerce
of the Borough of Queens has urged for
sume time that immediate appropiia-
tIons bc made for rcpaving the roadway
of the ouccusboru bridge, which Is no"
ia a dcplOrablc condition.
The manufacturers, merchants ana
business men of Queens, represented bN
this organization. deliver hundreus "i
truck loads Of manufactured rrohi'tS
daily to Manhattan over this bridge :
large automobile concerns established III
Long Island city send hundreds of cars
across the bridge each day pleasure
vehicles by the thousand from all parts
of the city daily use the bridge IN
fact, In one day over 1U,OVo autolnu-
biles used this artery of travel we
therefore urge that there hc no delay
in appropriatng sufficient money for n
satisfactory and permanent requirement.
of the roadway.
The Bridge department however
plans IN connection with the repaNe-
ment work to remove the present set
Of trolley tracks on the sides OF the
roadway. thus compelling the three
trolley companies the New YORK ana
Queens County Hallway Company. the
Third Avcnu" Railway Company and the
Manhattan and Queens Traction cor
poration. now operating across the
bridge on two sets Of tracks. TO Operate
entirely on one set Of tracks. The re-
moval uf these tracks is unnecessary
and unWiSc.
Furthermore. Bridge Commissioner I
r. H. krat ke promised a committee
from this chamber on January & ia
amend his request for tn" necessary
! paving appropriation accordingly, but
evidently has not done -, for his orlSi-
/ nal request comes before td" Board o'
Estimst" ON Friday for final action
| having been approved by the corporate
! stock budget committee. We are op'
posed TO tho removal of IN" trolley
tracks for the following reasons
4 I'll" transportation Of thousands %
/ employees OF the factories In Long Isl
/ and CIV to and from Manhattan is ~
4 important a. the transportation ~ th'
! products Of the factories. The con
/ ae~tIou OF passengers at both the Man
. haitian and. Queens terminals of the
/ ur+dg" to-day j. becoming unbcarah.e
, The reduction "f transit facilities wi
I only augment this condition.
The operation OF the Second aVcnu'
| cie,i iied extension viii not reduce th'
trolley traffic on the bridge. as has hcei
! claimed ON the contrary. il VII pro
ducc a sreater traffic. This has prove,
\ 20 bc the case uu the three otnel
/ bridges across the East River. for 'h'
, number pt short haul passengers 'tdiu!
i'm trolley cars iurredses as a result e"
the development of any community b!
! the Increase ~ rapid transit facilit.ee
The business men "f queens haE
worked for Years tu secure bette
Transportation facilities 10 provide ade
quate means for the WORKERS Of Man
haitian to reach better housing fdcIiitie
ia queens To ruh the borough Uoy
OF any of IT, transit facilities would b
unjust. Certainly there is no ne,"Ssit
at the present time for removing thes
tracks II at the end -: "A wear or two
when H." elevated extensions are i
operation, il is demonstrated that w
sets uf trolley trt.rS are unnecessary
It Will then he time to consider their re
moNal
I, We understand that the trolley CON
pauies are required to maintain In
pavement between the tracks and fo
eighteen inches "n each side. By r,
! moving this set Of tracks the city autc
inatirdllv assumes the cost OF maini.
name" of tifty-tNO feet uf roadway, i
/ stead Of approximately tuirty-s.ven f.,
as at present, thus Increasing the a.
uual cost OF maintenance t. tine ct
over ." per cent
40 greater width OF r"idWaN Ni !
: made available for ,"hi,"- hy the r.
mo, tl of tu,S. trd'ks and thor ,lc,
e'.~ Z uuu..l VIII up' i-tor..re wlt
i've Noh' "g'.,r t',fir. 10 '.a silG ltr-t IL
? gree. They alr IN place il NEEDED (,
- emergency. or 4 the repair nr recor
y structiou OF the brackets that suppo
/. | the outside tracks Is required
The resultant congestion Of cliniua
p | u- uII" set of tracks on the oueef
ID | pi tIl and ,onycrcluG the present hrid-
% tracks WAY bc .tucssed any night
| Woru.- Til" proposed plan Won
Z only '"pduce the sane conditions ol,
( tie r't.re bridge.
=, ~ compelling All trollcys t. opera
: ON the outside set OF tracks every O.
r vii ur compelled u stop at the Nerr,
ID avenue towers, thus reducing the nur
u nor ~ cars tina: ,an ,c operated aero
. Ill" bridge
I If for 10 Other reason 'he two 90
of trolley tracks should remain lu ord
% tat ore may hc used f,r em.r-cn,
y purposes. II l. pointed out hv =
y hr.dc" commissioner that tU.." Z
; number or cars an u"U' Are TOW uic
= atei across tn" Brupk',4 Rrdge n
" are operated on tn" CU-cushuro Er.dG
- Thousands ~ Rrooklyuitcs vii tc-ii.
however to the many Instances Of gre
! | in'puv"uieuce and resultant coufusi
u caused 10y the frequent hreal,dovus
= trolley service on ~" Brooklyu Er.da
Rret~doWus ~ the oucensborp Bird
- are not iufreHuent to-day, and viii crC
" m number iu proportion to the grow
L. of -" borough and its trolley ,rit,i,.
W" therefor" believe tina, t.. e.
should appr"rr ate at once a sun.
sum 70" rcptNing the roadway. a
y, tht' such appropriation should hc u>
~. - improve Il str.N ur th,rty-Scveu +,
n width IN the centre oe the hrid.
~ Ca