The New York herald., 1920-01-21
HEAR ADVOCATES
OF SUBWAY LOOP
Speakers Tell of Various Pro-
jectS to Solve CrosstoWn
Traffic Congestion.
WANT MOVING SIDEWALK
Majority of Merchants Urge Construc-
ton Under Hhirty-Fourth Street
for Prompt Relief.


Advocates OF the various projects for
solution OF crosstown traffic of the up
town business centre of Manhattan were
heard yesterday by the Transit Construc-
ton Commission through Daniel L Ryan,
Deputy Commissioner, att he hearing in
the Public Service Commission offices. in
Lafayette street. OF the thirty or forty
men who attended majority represented
the Thirty-fourth Street Board Of Trade
In It's advocacy of a subway loop covering
an area bounded by Seventh avenue
Fourth avenue. Forty-second street and
Ihirtieth or Thirtyfirst street.
In speaking for the Thirty-fourth street
organization by which he is retained as
consulting engineer. Milo r. Maltbie at
lacked the report Of the chief engineer of
the Rapid Transit Commission, Daniel L.
turner both for his broad recommends
ton OF the proposed moving sidewalk un-
der Forty-second street and his insinua-
tionS that the loop scheme was advocated
oy those that had a selfish interest Mr..
turner was not present. else Mr. Maltbie
SAID. he would have made his denuncia-
uon more vigorous. The advocates of the
and Mr.. Ryan had an opportunity to hear
the many sides Of the arguments
There were two advocates of the mme-
date extension of the Queensborough sub
way from Grand Central Terminal to
Seventh avenue. These were Maurice q.
connolly. president of the Borough of
Queens, and Arthur G. Peacock. of the
lnterborough Rapid Transit Company
counsel. The extension of the Queens
borough subway crosstown long has been
delayed. although It has been contracted
ana Mr.. Peacock said the Interborough
demanded immediate fulfilment of the
contract at least before any other plans
for crosstown traffic were considered or
mage Mr.. Connolly pleaded with other
queens men that no solution would be
permanent unless it considered the whole
city's problem, and pointed out the vast
hapitable capacity of his borough.
Ask Prompt Relief.
Neither took sides on the merits of the
loop or moving sidewalk projects, except
that neither should have preference over
the Queensborough extension
But the demand for prompt relief of the
congestion in Manhattan due to local and
transient crosstown traffic was apparent
from the number and diversity Of inter-
ests appealing for the loop. The heads
and executives of several of the largest
firms in Thirty-fourth street Herald
son TO urge their project which they de-
clarcd was not selfish one or a hard
and fast plan.
William B. Gibbs. secretary of the
Thrty-tourth street organization, said the
members sought to benefit the shopping
public, which comes from all parts OF the
city. and, aside from the loop. advocated
an express station at Thirty third street
on the Fourth avenue subway the ex-
tension 'of the greensboro subway and
the extension of the Hudson and Man.
haitian tubes on lower level to Grand
Central.
THE loop idea merely Is to distribute
traffic.. said Mr.. Maltbie. He explained
that II was proposed to use the existing
local tracks with the addition of a new
tunnel across the lower end of the loop
until such time as a maximum of traffic
on local trains in the present subways
should be reached and until trains were
run at that maximum; he said there was
distinction between the two. But he
said If it appeared the maximum would
be reached by the time the loop was
constructed the Thirty-fourth Street Asso-
citation would approve of an Independent
loop. which eventually would have to be
constructed in any event
Patrick l.. Ryan, Of r. II. Macy & Co.,
chairman of the associations Transporta-
lion Committee, argued that the moving
end and further congest traffic, while the
loop would divert traffic from Times
square and other centres Jesse Straus,
president Of Macy & Co., pointed out that
the loop inevitably will become a cross
town connection on practically every
street in the loop better than crosstown
surface lines and direct route between
Grand Central and the Pennsylvania sta
lions.
Merchants Favor Loop.
James M. Speers, of James McCutcheon
e. Co., added that the loop would aid in
traffic from the Lackawanna and Erie
terminals J. Bernstein indorsed the loop
on behalf of the Fifth Avenue Association.
T. Il. Keene, for the Central Mercantile
Association, advocated the loop scheme.
but suggested to have Fourteenth street
and Twenty-third street as its bases be-
cause of the congestion in that zone.
Bernard Gnrbel. president Of Gimbel
Brothers. advocated the Thirty-fourth
street Boards project and pointed out
il would produce increased revenue be-
cause of local crosstown traffic. ]. X.
Cuddy. secretary of Oppenheim. Collins
,c CO.. refuted the assertions that the
loop would be largely of local benefit.
NJ. l.. Morgenthau. president of the Mirror
Company, whose candy stores are located
in many districts, whose interests are
anything but local, sent word he thought
the loop "a necessity. LeSne GraII, OIL
B Altman & Co., upheld this view by
asserting the loop would benefit 400, ,UO
employees and many times that number Of
the public" John =. Fox, an engineer,
speaking for the Hotel Vanderbilt, espe-
ciaIly urged an express station at Thirty
third street and Lexington avenue. t..
w Forrest. secretary OF the Forty-second
street Property owners and Merchants
Association. pleaded for extension Of the
Oueensborough subway and also OF the
Hudson tubes.
Arguments for the moving sidewalk
across Forty-second street came from NJ.
Everhart Smith, head of the company in
terested in the project. and III. s. Putnam.
an engineer of the company Reginald r..
Bolton. Washington Heights Tax Payers
Association. was against both the moving
sidewalk and the Queensborough subway
extension, and Walter J. Salmon, OF the
sixth Avenue Board of Trade, asked that
any arrangement would consider Sixth
avenue subway In place of the elevated
railroad. III. +. Quick. Of the Brooklyn
Engineers Club. and l.. r. Stilwel. an
engineer. favored the moving sidewalk.
Nnd u. ". Ries spoke for a compromise
using the sidewalk as local trains and
the express trains as at present.