The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-15
CRAIG URGES 6 LINE
FREIGHT SUBWAYS
controllers Plan for West
side Problem Goes to Es-
innate Board To-day.
TO BE BUILT BY THE CITY
Railroads Under Federal Con
troll Are Expected to Agree
to Proposals.

COMPTROLLER Craig will present to the
Roard Of Estimate to-day his plan for
,e,eying the freight cons estion on the
,yast side. He does not pretend to
so,ve the so-called West side problem,
ths Mitchell plan for which he did 30
rnpch to defeat. He has no way to sug-
sest for getting the New York Central
tracks off grade. but assumes that this
company will consent to use q city
freight subway after II Is built
The Comptroller frankly states that
ns has consulted mono OF the railroads
Interested. but he believes they would DO
vad to accept such facilities as he has
IN mind. Neither does the Comptroller
give figures as to the cost to the city OF
NJ. scheme, nor does he say where the
money to build the subway Is to come
from. He eeneralizes. however, with
the statement that 1t would be a money
making plan.
Extensive Underground Lines.
TN brief" says the Comptroller in his
letter to the Board OF Estimate. "the
nan pfONlutb Tut u GA tIaCh uhuCt-
ground freight railroad from Fifty-ninth
street to a point near Canal street, with
unit terminals In convenient locations
and transfer bridges providing means Of
access for the New Jersey railroads. the
underground railroad and It's terminal
facilities to provide for the business OF
railroads handling merchandise traffic.
The plan involves no serious physical
or transportation difficulty, and It can
DO financed and operated to the material
Advantage OF the city Of New York"
The plan provides for a six track sub
way under Eleventh avenue from Fifty
ninth to Twenty-seventh street: thence
partly under private property between
Twenty-seventh and Twenty-sixth streets
20 Tenth avenue down Tenth avenue to
Fifteenth street; thence under private
property to and under Ninth avenue at
Fourteenth street and into Hudson
street and under that street to Moth
Moore street. A crosstown subway I'M
der Houston street to a terminal at the
East Side is suggested.
Union unit terminals are proposed to
Ne located between Ftfty-ffth and Fifty
seventh streets east Of Eleventh avenue +:
between Twenty-sixth and Thirtieth
streets. east of Eleventh avenue. and, II
necessary. extending through to Ninth
avenue between Twenty 9th and Twen-
ty-ninth streets: between Sixteenth and
Twentieth streets. east Of Tenth avenue
It Spring street east or west Of Hud-
son street. and in the blocks bounded by
i.aight, Varick, North Moore and Hud-
son streets probably closing Beach
street between Hudson and Varick
Streets).
Union transfer bridges are proposed 10
be located. between Twenty-fifth and
Thirteth streets and at Leroy and Nor
'on streets or at point somewhat fur
her south out not yet definitely deter
mined.
Proposed Waterfront Changes.
Regarding the waterfront north of
Ffty-ninth street the Com. says
Your attenti"7 q v'cfsSl to the
proposed changes y, -"vya Fifty-ninth
and Seventy-second streets. This water
front is now occupied by the New York
Central The leases for a considerable
PORTION of this waterfront have expired
and It is held now under temporary per-
:nits, The other leases have but a short
lime to run.
"ln this area the New York Central
now has five one story piers that extend
about half way to the perhead line. The
ity of New York owns the thirteen
streets that intersect the New York Cen
raj yards and run TO the exterior grant
Inc in the Hudson River. The city also
Jwns Twelfth avenue. which runs
trough the railroad yard from Fifty
ninth street TO Seventy-second street.
The plan proposes that on at least ten
4 the street ends modern two story
piers should be erected extending to the
Derhead line. This would increase at
least fourfold the use now made OF that
waterfront"
This Is the way In which the Comp
uroller dismisses the New York Central
adjustment:
"While a part Of the route proposed Is
under parts Of Tenth avenue and Elev-
enth avenue. where the New York Cen
raj has surface rights I do not appre-
bend that any great difficulty will arise
rom this in providing for the business
4 that railroad to be hereafter handled
through the underground system. The
surface facilities OF the New York Cen
raj are already so obsolete and I'M
profitable and constitute such an OBJ
structlon TO street traffic and the city's
development that II Is scarcely to be
eleved that that railroad, under Fed
eral control or corporate management,
would assume an obstructive attitude"
Railroads to Pay on Tonnage Rasin
Not only would the Comptroller have
his railroad and pier development
OWNED by the city, but he would have II
controlled by the city. The railroads
should pay for the facilities on the basis
Il tonnage handled.
The Comptroller says he has In mind
plan for the Improvement or Riverside
Park. but 1t does not involve disturbing
ne present railroad tracks He would
Ill In all land under water between the
racks and the bulkhead line. the mate
lial for which he would obtain in build
i1P the subway.
The Comptroller wishes the Board OF
Estimate to give him permission to take
he matter up with the Federal authori'