The sun., 1918-12-29
DRIVE ON TO MAKE
BROADWAY CLEAR
Street Car "Tanks" Must Go
and More Lights Installed,
Says Association.
WAR ON SCRAP HEAPS
Major Opdycke Put in Charge
Of Campaign Backed by
1000 Members.


out of the trenches and nicely paved
over from vesey street to Forty-sec-
ond, the Broadway Association has
come to the front with an announce
ment that surface conditions will now
be dealt with.
Cleaning up Broadway from the
Bowling lawn in front OF the Custom
House to the war gardens up lear the
city line Is not one of those jobs to
which a deserving Democrat would
aspire. The Broadway Association
realizes this and therefore has de-
cided to limit the present cleanup not
only in length but in purpose, lest
It's efforts be so attenuated by stretch
ing over the eighteen mile length Of
the thoroughfare that they become as
futile as the Kaiser's explanation of
how the Allies started the war.
Therefore the Broadway Association
intends to start hammering away for
better traffic conditions on the avenue
between the Battery and Seventy-sec-
ond street. And the first step In this
campaign, according to Jefferson de
Mont Thompson, president Of the AS
ISOLATION and chairman Of the Mayors
Committee on Traffic. is the retire
ment or transfer to tombstone Arz'
Of the present stepless cars. now
known throughout the city by the ir-
reverent as rat traps"
-
u" "e "
IF we expect ever to make Broad
way really navigable we must get rio
iii, s,,ob bittarrees IN MIC tone the,
he was instantly suspected of having
ridden in me-. Having only one door
Scr passengers to enter or leave. theSI
stops are twice as long as the other
cars. The floors are uneven and the
seats uncomfortable. and altogether
jaey are one of the best arguments in
favor of walking thai I know of. Their
design was bad in the first place and
they are now out Of date and unfit for
a place on the most important thor
oughfare in the city.
I'm my opinion, one OF the greatest
improvements which could be made or
broadway. and indeed throughout tn,
city. would be the replacement of these
cars BY modern cars of the 80 foot
'sucth. with ent-ancesatzthe front and
rear, and also II possible in the cen.
tire. These would be comfortable and
also much faster thai the present
monstrosities. There would be more
room for automobiles and much les,
congestion and delay in traffic all alonl
the avenue II the rat traps were ban
isted."
Neeo We"
A lighting system at least as goot
and better If possible than Fifth ave
rue is another Improvement demanded
" the Broadway Association. Al
most all the wilderness Of the Grea
White Way. 1t is pointed out, Is white
ness contributed by h merchants
,ha coona-otton ~ Thomas A Ed,so,
q Co., and not by Father Knicker
booker himself, who deals out hi
ktlowatts with a sparing and almos
niggardly hand. The Broadway Asso
citation believes that Broadway shoul'
still be visible even II all the Broad
way folk sturned out the lights an,
vent home to bed early some night.
A cluster OF o u lights on eacl
corner and q cluster In the middle o
he block up the avenue as far a
Columbus Circle would do much t
raise the avenue above he standart
of brilliance set by Dihsourg, Pa o
Spinola, Ark. the association believes
Major Henry G. Opdycke, formerl
nth the American EXpeditioner,
Force and now managing director o
the association, has been charged wit
fhe leadership OF the association in 1t
light for a general clean up, and bac'
0f him is the president and neari,
1000 members Of the organization
which includes banks, rus companies
merchants, hotels, building agents an
theatrical people.
- -
As Major Opdycke Is a consultini
Engineer and also n e Yorker o
many years standing, the Organize
ZION believes 1t has a good general t
~,rted a request will be made 10 tax
me street ears off Broadway entirely
unless more modern conveyances ar
provided.
The physical condition of the stree
-iso will occupy the attention OF tn
association. The pristine freshness o
me ashphalt already has been spoile
n several places by gangs OF laborcr
,pparently endeavoring TO discove