New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-07
Delaney Has Plan to Take
"L" Structure OFF Full
ton Street and Relieve
Bridge Lire Congestion
Manhattan Link Closer
Ashland Place Connection
Among Basic Features of
Proposed New Subway

A new subway route has been pro
posed by John II. Delaney, Transit Con
struction Commissioner, to Lindley NJ
Garrison. receiver Of the New York
Municipal Railway Corporation, which,
II accepted by the receiver and acted
upon, will achieve three distinct i'm
nrovemenis for Brooklyn.
1t will make possible removal Of the
unsightly IL" structure from Fulton
Street, al Improvement that has been
sought for years by department stores
financial houses and theaters in the
downtown district
The long contemplated Ashland Place
connection viii become reality.
Third, the proposed improvement
would provide new underground rapid
transit line that viii be available at q
period when the existing underground
tubes in the business section Of Brook
ign no longer will be adequate to han
die the increased traffic of that Dor
ough.
The purpose at present is to proceed
with that section of the new route that
will provide the Ashland Place connec-
ion and also remove the IL" structure
As laid out, the NV route viii afford
through rapid ~ cit, with steel car
express trains. flo-l central Brooklyn,
East New York, Ridgewoed and ia
maca over the Fulton Street elevated
inc to Vanderbilt Avenue; thence to
Fort Greene Place, TO Dckalb Avenue,
10 Fulton Street. to Elm Place and
Livingston Street, TO Court Street, to
Washington Street, to the plaza OF the
Brooklyn Bridge, to Fulton Street, to
he East River. 10 point between
Peck Sip and Beekman Street Man
haitian, TO d connection with the Broad
way subway just south of City Hall
Park.
This route would bring the shopping
and business district of Brooklyn into
close touch with the rapid transit of
Manhattan, and would eliminate the
use Of wooden cars and also the use
If the Brooklyn Bridge by the Fulton
Street Il" line.
The new route will begin at the june
ion of The Fulton Street L." near
Clermont Avenue, then down an in
cined roadway TO subway at Cum
berland Street. 1t will create an
underground connection for the Myrtle
and Lexington Avenue lines as vel
as the Fulton Street line. The pro
posed detour through Fort Greene
Place and DeKalb Avenue is 10 pro-
vide access to the DeKal b Avenue sta
ion Of he Fourth Avenue line.
Present Cost to City S3.500.000
yv;.L a. o.-+o 49, ,rt,,oce1 +ba n,,.-
will be required to provide only So
100000 for the Ashland Place connec-
ion at this time. The remainder
he new route viii not be needed unit
he Increase in population along the
Fourth Avenue. the Brighton Beach
Culver and West End lines shall re
quire such service TINT the Ashland
Place subway Will be chokeG.
The proposed agreement eliminates
the Objectionable features OF the Ash
land Place project put forward in
1917, and still pending before the
BOARD OF Estimate and Apportionment-
It differs from the 1917 Ashland Place
connection proposal in the following
particulars:
All mention Of cvediting the Brook
IN Bridge tolls is omitted.
The entire cost Of the construction
If the Ashland Place connection IS to
oe cred ted to che city under the terms
4 Contract No. 4.
No Third Track on Fulton
The company must agree that no
bird track would be placed upon the
Fulton Street Il" below the point Of
The proposed connection.
All mention Of station on the Will
iamsburgh Bridge Plaza is omitted.
All mention of Lawrence Street sta
ton is omitted.
new underground rapid transit line
from Ashland Place, Brooklyn, to City
Hall Manhattan, Is laid out.
The estimated cost OF The new route
in its entirety Isl:
Ashland Place CONNECTION ....--- $4,000. 900
subway through livingston and
Washington Streets to Brooklyn
Bridge Plaza NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 5000, 00G
subway from Brooklyn Bridge
Plaza to City Hall. Manhattan. ~ $50. 900
Removal Of rapid transit traffic from
the old Brooklyn Bridge Will make I'M
necessary the proposed strengthening
Of the bridge at an estimated cost of
$4,000 900 and also VIII leave the
bridge free for immensely increased