Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-07


in order to relieve Market street.
Herr Street
Herr street connection: The pro-
vision of a subway under the rail-
road at Herr street and the fact that
this street is the first street of i'm
portance running from the central
district proper east to the Hill dis
trict and clear of the cemetery, makes
1t very probable that in the future a
line could be profitably developed.
using this Herr street subway. 1t is
extremely unfortunate that Herr
street west of the railroad is so mar
row, and every encouragement should
be given to the widening of this
street in connection with any city
plan reconstruction undertaken on a
broad scale. Temporarily Boas street
could be used by diverting one block
in Seventh street. However, as the
entire width of the settled district
east of the railroad is only about
Cne-half mile, 1t is hardly probable
that crosstown service east and west
across this district would be so es-
sential as to make 1t necessary to
bring this proposed Herr street line
as far as the river front to Second
street. If tile street was widened. 1t
would then undoubtedly be desira BILE
to bring this line over the hill to
Second or Third street to operate
around the Third street loop down
town.
Crosstown Service
"Crosstown Hill service: At the
present time II would seem possible
to develop a crosstown line on the
Hill east of the Pennsylvania railroad.
But with the present street layout 1t
is difficult to find a direct through
north and south right of way for
such line, with the exception of
Seventeenth street. However. 1t ap-
pears that at the present time Seven
teenth street is rather far east for
such "a line to be of maximum useful
ness, and this would require about l g
miles of track, with turnouts, be-
tween Sycamore street and Herr
street. Considering routes which
could use present trackage as much
as possible, there are two alterna-
tives, as follows:
/. Nineteenth, Whitehall and Eigh-
teenth which could extend the cross
town service from the State Arsenal
past City Reservoir Park as far as
Cloverly Terrace and the Parkway.
2. Thirteenth, State and Sixteenth,
extending from Herr street to per-
haps Sycamore street. This would re-
quire the construction of about 1.O5
OIL NUOoO InllGS LOT
Thirteenth street track.)
3. Temporarily, a cross town line
might be operated from the First
ward in Nineteenth street, Berryhill,
Thirteenth, State and Sixteenth, re-
quiling 01.3 miles of new single
track, and using the existing track
in Thirteenth street between Walnut
and State now unused. With this
line in operation. it would then be
desirable to operate the Nineteenth
street. Oberlin service in Derry street
to Market. rather than by the present
roundabout single track line.
, Hill Loop
"A Hill loop service has been pro-
posed to the company via Thirteenth
State, Fifteenth. Herr, Seventeenth
and return on Sycamore--this entire
loop to be operated downtown via
Herr street subway. This proposition
is considered impracticable, not only
for the roundabout method of pro-
viding downtown service, but also
because it only provides one-way
operation on two sides of the district
over 1900 feet in width. When the
First ward becomes fairly settled,
or subdivided for settlement, it will
probably be desirable to plan for
more direct car service, and in this
respect Paxton street has great pos
sibilities as it is diagonal traVers-
ing the level plateau running through
Cloverly district, and thence to Ober-
lin Whether this radial is to be
served from Thirteenth street or
continued on the Hill across Cam
eron, and by the Paxton street bridge
separation to Second street, is i'm
material at the present time. Only
a short section of controlling grade
eXists-not over six per cent.
Auto Bus Line: A proposal comes
from the company for the operation
of an auto bus route, designed to
tive this 'cross-town service on the
Hill, and obviate for the present the
necessity of laying track until the
street railway and jitney' situation
has been cleared up. This proposed
route is Eighteenth, Berryhill, Four
teenth, State and Fifteenth to Herr
street. This route to be operated in
both directions. The average dis
tance between the two sides of this
loop is about 1880 feet, giving an
average walk of two blocks or less
in either direction. The fleXibility of
such a proposal and the possibility
of adapting the route to changing
conditions, extending the service east
into the First ward when necessary,
would make it desirable at least for
q trial. Whether the operation of q
loop bus line as distinct from one or
more lines operated on parallel
streets would be more desirable can
only be determined by trial.
Nineteenth Street Line /.
Nineteenth -Oberlin Line: Recon-
mendations have been made else
where for the further use of the
Nineteenth street line to Steelton.
The present location of the turnouts
limit operation to about 15-minuto
headway, which is of course, too long
to make this line of maximum use.
An additional turnout should be
built between Greenwood street and
Lincoln street, Steelton. Also prob
ably another turnout in Steelton,
This proposition should be studied
and turnouts located SO. that with
high power equipm ent and the rapid
operation of which this line is capa-
BILE, cars could be scheduled so as
to operate on a headway of five min
utes when, necessary.
"City Plan: AS regards eventual
extensions and enlargements of the
system, it is only necessary to keep
in mind certain important thorough
fares and connecting streets, so that
in the working out of the City Plan
these streets will not be interfered
with by local subdivisions or property
which are not laid out so as to co-or-
dinate with the remainder of the
| City Plan. In this connection may bf
mentioned the following:
Paxton street, North Cameron
i