New-York tribune., 1918-08-19
Congestion ON
BRIT Subway
Rivals Fl Lines
Lack of Track Facilities
Over Bridges Important
Factor
Transfer Stations
Prove Labyrinths
Surging Crowds and Show
ing Guards Take Daily
Toll of Accidents

Manhattan has developed an acute
transit problem since the "lI" subway
system was opencd But it is not alone
in its distress Brooklyn is confronted
with conditions just as serious in the
congestion on the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Companys lines. A trip be-
tween Manhattan and Coney Island
which should take less than forty-iive
minutes. consumes from one to two
hours. In u rush hour the trip may
take more than two hours. Sometimes
in non-rush hours it may take just as
long unless the passenger is an expert
in solving the intricacies of B. +. T
transfer facilities.
Investigation by Tribune reporters
disclosed that the main causes fol
congestion on the B. r. T. lines are as
follows:
I. The three arteries connecting
Brooklyn with Manhattan, loading
over Brooklyn. Manhattan and Will
iamsbure bridges, are too narrow,
causing congestion on all the bridges.
2. Transfer stations on both sides
OF the East River are cramped and
irightful congestion takes place there
during the rush hours.
8. The routing OF trains entering
Manhattan is changed almost daily.
so that only experienced patrons of
the B. r. T. know just where to go
to find trains which Will take them
TO their homes.
4. Platform and train guards are
discourteous and careless.
5. The Canal Street station laby-
rinth is daily the scene OF indescrib-
able confusion and congestion.
B. T. T. officials say that recent heavy
traffic, especially during the exodus
from Manhattan to Coney Island
throughout the hot spell, forced the
company to increase its service SOC
per cent over normal, making con
gestion on the Coney Island lines in
evitable. The rail space over the bridges
is not sufficient to carry the immense
crowd of passengers during rush hours
without clogging the tracks.
Canal Street Principal Point
The main congestion point in Man
haitian is at Canal Street, where the
trains of more than half dozen Man
nattan- Brooklyn lines converge. The
Broadway a." Canarsie, the Myrtle
Avenue. Jamaica, Sea Beach and Wes
End lines are the principal ones lun
ning into Canal Street. where they take
on at night the crowds from Manhattan
carried thither by the Manhattan loca
of the B. 4. 7.
A train runs into the station ever!
few seconds, but the Indications during
he three days that Tribune observer!
: Il t. c n
10 one transfer point could handle 81
the people who use the Canal Stree
station.
The Essex Street station is about a.
badly congested as is Canal Street
The East Side sweatshops feed tht
Essex Street station almost as liberall!
as the shops further uptown feed Cana
Street
The Trouble at Essex Street.
The main congestion at Essex stree
appeared to be due to the fact tina
express trains from Chambers Stree
are held up by locals. The expresse:
are not supposed to stop at Essex Stree
at all. But there are only two track
over the Williamsburg Bridge. used b.
trains operating on four tracks in the
loop. Therefore, with four or five
locals ahead, an express must stant
in the Essex Street station, whether
it has any business there or not. o.
on the bridge. until the locals aheac
have discharged and taken on pas
sengcrs at Marcy Avenue, the frs
station in Brooklyn. The locals clut
ter up the track for the express train
till they leave the bridge. On th
Brooklyn side, the express trains swim.
into third track near the Marc,
Avenue station and can run on t,
Myrtle Avenue without stop.
The trains which use this route
Ridgewood, Canarsie. East New Yorl
Jamaica, Myrtle Avenue and Rockawa,
are delayed from five to fiftecl
Manhattan to Brooklyn during the rusl
hours at night
Change Of Routings
One OF the numerous complaints O
Brooklyn residents is the daily chang
IN the routing of trains. Thus tn
Jamaica and Myrtle Avenue trains ru
into Chambers Street during the rus
hours, from about to 8 o'clock in tn
morning. and from TO 7 o'clock a
night. During the rest of the tim
they run into the Brooklyn terminal q
Park Row. Unless Brooklynites posses
watches keeping standard time, an
know exactly when the change take
place they find themselves going TO tn
wrong terminal, and are forced {
walk back, or take the alternative c
transferring their way to their home
by devious routes.
There is probably no spot in III
United States anything like the CAM
street underground labyrinth Of N
Il. i. T. II covers a space thre
blocks in length and is nearly
wide. II IS Il place Of innumerable co,
ridors and half a dozen train platform
on two levels. 1t is damp cav
transyersed here and there by litt]
brooks, long winding starways, lon
halls, Jarnmcd at rush hours from en-
70 END, from every street entranc
above to every blind alley below, by
Struggling mass Of people who wor
IN manhattan and sleep in Brooklyn.
Jolts. Jars and Shoves
II is the daily scene Of accident,
Tribune reporters spent from one +
two hours in the Canal Street labv
rinth during the rush hours on Thurs
day and Friday nights aud Saturda
noon. Thursday night they saw tw
women thrown flat on the train plat
Forns by the charging mob. One 0
me women was tramplcd upon by tn
crowd
Friday night, An old man slipped /
one of the many pools OF water. II
was painfully bruised by the fal
The same night ii boy was throw
violently off 4 train by a guard. Th
boy lost his balance and stumbled o
mis- hands and knccg. bit later.
Tribune reporter who had gone on
short trip Of inspection TO Cham be r
Street ard was returning 10 the Cana
q a LII IL. Il Il