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

string to be heard have been given
consideration, particularly the Third
Street Businessmen's Association.
who insistently demand the double
/ tracking or at least two-way opera
tion in Third street." says Mr.. Ar
mold, and adds:
Considering the question broadly
in the relative importance of the
| few north and south streets serving
the north end of the city, the con-
| clusion can hardly be avoided that
| If any semibusiness street is to de-
velop at all north of the Capitol.
Third street is the most logical one
| for this development. Second street
| being so close to the river and sery-
| ing as 1t does the most attractive
section of residential territory along
the river bank, should be jealousy
guarded by the citizens of Harris
burg against business inroads. Be-
ing wide street, it will undoubted-
| ly be extended from time to time
along the river and form an essential
artery of communication.
while Third street is only six
| hundred feet east of Second street.
1t borders upon and serves an en-
| tirely different type of community
and is far better calculated to per-
form the functions of business
street. Sixth street or Ridge Road
most unfortunately is only fifty feet
wide with twenty-eight foot road
way south of RELY street, although
of ample width north of Reilly street.
The narrowing of Ridge Road makes
| ii Impossible to operate double track
| car service along the section of this
street which would be most ligical
! for the development of business, and
the best that can be done is to op-
crate two-way service with turn
outs, as at present. Fourth street
| rorth of Reilly street is in the same
class as Third street, except that it
has no desirable outlet to the south.
Both Capital street and Margaretta
streets are hopelessly inadequate
either for business OF for satisfac-
| tory street railway operation. While
the Third-Fourth service now termi-
mates at Seneca street, it would ap-
pear probable that in the near fu-
ture this service will have to be eX-
| tended midway between Second and
| Sixth streets into Riverside. And
| elsewhere, attention has been drawn
to this with the suggestion that any
land subdivisions between Division
street and Riverside be opposed,
which do not provide for the extern
sion of one of these streets so as to
| reach Third street. Riverside.
| business Section
THE so-called business section of
| Third street appears to terminate
about Reilly street beyond which the
| settlement is entirely residential and
| of a gocd character However, the
character of settlement along Capt.
tai and Margaretta streets is so en-
tirely different, that it undoubtedly
dctracts from the patronage which
| would otherwise come to this line,
from the residential territory in
Third and Fourth streets north of
Reilly. ...t.
again, the turns and offsets in
! the streets on the east side of the
Third and.Fourth loops are not cal
culated to improve the service and
Where cars are obliged to run in. a
roadway nineteen feet, in width with
the carbody running within fifteen
inches of the curb line on one side
of the street, it is quite apparent
that proper operating conditions may
not be looked for. Compared with
other streets in the city, it appears
that the business section of Third
street has six inches wider roadway
than Thirteenth street south of Mar
let street, wherein are operated all
of the Allison Hill cars with double
tracks, and six inches wider road
way than Sixth street south of Reilly
operated with turnouts, giving two
way service. 1t is therefore evident
that q precedent at least exists IN
Harrisburg'for the provision of two
way operation on a roadway of 34.5
feet, however congested that opera
ton may be.
Two-Way Operation
Considering finally all phases OF
this controversy, the conclusion
seems unavoidable: (a) that two.
way operation should be established
in Third street at least as far as
Reilly street; (b) that il the line is
not double-tracked. turnouts should
be installed in Third street to pro-
vide for the necessary headway at
the present time, which expedient
would give time for a trial of the
service and demonstration of the
merits of two-way versus one-way
operation. North of Reilly street the
roadway is thirty-four feet in both
Third and Fourth avenues and the
open loop operation as at present
could continued, as the two sides
of this loop are only 500 feet apart
/, In view of the necessity in the case
and the obvious inroads made by lit
, neys I'm the earnings of this line
which seem to be due to the short
. comings in the present service above
mentioned, it is believed that double
tracking would be the proper thing
to do, at the same time encourage
ing the city officials to secure proper
Il police regulations of this section OF
: roadway to prevent unintelligent use