New-York tribune., 1920-06-19
City Has Decided to
Cancel Franchise of
Richmond Traction
Ten Days Notice of For
feiture Served on Trolley
Co. by Estimate Board;
Whalen Issues Statement

The Board of Estimate gave ten days
notice yesterday to the Richmond Light
and Railroad Company, of Staten ISL
and, that its franchise would be de-
clared forfeited. The action of the
Board was pursuant to the recommen-
dation Of Grover A Whalen, Commits
sloner of Plant and Structures, who
urged the forfeiture Of the various
traction company franchises on Staten
island, particularly that OF the Rich
mond Light Company, in order to clear
up the traction situation in Richmond.
There are no trolley cars running on
the Midland Railroad lines at the pres
ent time and the Richmond company is
unsuccessfully operating its lines at an
eight-cent fare. The Board of Esti-
mate also had before it petition
signed by several thousand residents
OF Staten Island appealing for relief
from "the present intolerable condi-
tions."
Commissioner Whalen declared that
the Richmond company intended to
seek an injunction restraining the city
from operating buses. on Staten Island,
in order to force the people to use the
eight-cent fare cars.
Further than this" said Commits
sioner Whalen, they threaten to pre-
vent the city from using its own prop
of Federal injunction, to bar the
people of Staten Island from public
property. The trolley lines operated
into the terminal of the Staten Island
/ municipal ferry, at St. George, over a
viaduct and terminal platform built
and owned by the City of New York
Prior to January 21, 1920, the trolley
lines had exclusive use Of this prop
erty. but it was opened to the public
. nv la Y0 0r.y, ~ Low,
lures at that time and is now used
both by buses and private automobiles,
to the greater convenience and better
service of the people Of Staten Island,
without in any way interfering with
the operation of the trolley lines.
Notwlth standing the position Of the
Richmond Light & Railroad Company
as tenant in default, who has paid no
rent in seven years and who has broken
its franchise contract with the city
this company now proposes to bar the
public from the viaduct and terminal
platform and to resume exclusive pos
session of the city's property, thereby
| working serious Inconvenience to the
public. In order to protect tho ghts
of the people it is necessary that the
control of these city premises remain
| in the Department of Plant and Struc-
lures and that the trolley company is
not perWltteo TO get Strahgie nold on
! the people"
An application for the issuance of
! s14.734,000 of rapid transit bonds was
made to the Board of Estimate yester-
day by John H. Delaney, Transit Con-
struction Commissioner, to be expend-
ed in improvement of the city ed
| transit lines operated by the Inter
borough and Brooklyn Rapid Transit
/ systems. The improvements contem-
/ plated include the extension of the
/ Greensboro tunnel to Forty-frst
/ Street and Seventh Avenue and various
new repair shops and track work in
outlying sections of the city.
/ The principal items for completing
the transit system operated by the
B. r. T. include the carrying out of
the forfeited contract for the Four
teenth Street subway between Irving
/ Place and Avenue B and for the ex-
/ tension Of the Fourteenth Street
Eastern line from Bushwick Avenue,
Brooklyn, to East New York.