South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-20
Track Separation Plan
COnten1pldteS South Bend
Expansion Commercially
Recently Enacted State Legislation Puts Project in Realm of
Probabies-Fathers of Movement Vision Elimination
Of Traffic Congestion Union Station and
Extension of Street Car Service.

| spreading half the city's cost over
an area OF property affected by the
/ elevation OF the tracks, the area "a
be determined by the city through
its board OF public works. ANY con-
tract between the city and the rail-
cad company IS entered into upon
the part OF the city BY the board OF
works. but before il becomes enec-
| tive IL must obtain the approval OF
the city council.
Another piece OF legislation on
acted by the general assembly 10
aid track elevation I'm South Bend
Is what was knswn as Bill No. POS.
which was also prepared by City
Atty. Slick. This law is an amend
ment 20 the original law providing
Tor track elevation iu cities OF South
Bends population. At the time the
original law was enacted South
/ Bend was much smaller in popuIa-
ton than IL now is. The original law
was passed several years ago. and
the fact Of the thing was that South
Bend had literally grown from under
the provisions of the act. I'm order
that any real steps toward track,
elevation could be taken by the city.
IL was necessary that the law be
amended 10 include South Bend as
1t Is today, and will be for a few
years, at least. This was done. and
now no further legislative obstacles
stand in the way of carrying out
the city's track separation plans.
Business Expansion Inevitable.
And now comes the vision OF what
the accomplishment of the track
elevation project will bring to South
Bend. 1t has been realized for
some time that II the city is TO grow
In population as there is every indi-
cation that it will during the next
rev years, there must be an ex-
pansion Of its business district
South Bend has already become the
buying center OF the St Joseph val
ley which covers a large area and
comprises a number OF towns and
cities Merchants Of this CITY are
already competing with the mer-
chants or Chicago. with a buying
public OF cities as far west as Gary
and Hammond and Valparaiso.
Buyers also come to South Bend
stores from Goshen. Elkhart and
ether cities and towns in northern
Indiana as well as in southern
Michigan.
This surrounding cities and towns
trade is growing. so much so that
the expansion Of the business district.
in order TO accommodate 10 and the
growing home trade. has become
something that is growing more
Necessary and more inevitable.
And the accomplishment OF the
track elevation project will provide
the room for this expansion. It VIII
provide one other east and west
business thoroughfare, Division ST. II
will provide "a possibility of s Main
st. and S. Lafayette blvd. becoming
business thoroughfares by the re-
moval OF the Grand Trunk right of
way from Division st. And IL will
remove the present cause Of trafic
congestion on al north and south
thoroughfart crossing Division St.
AMI the cause of congestion on
Michigan. Main and Lafayette thor
oughfares where they cross the pres
ent right Of way OF the New York
Central
Plans Provide Union Station.
The plans for the double elevation.
running parallel. one for the New
York Central and one for the Grand
Trunk, call for viaducts at Michigan
St. Main st. and Lafayette blvd. and
for viaducts at whatever other north
and south thoroughfares it may be
deemed necessary to protect the
city's traffic.
The plans also call for placing the
proposed union station where it viii
be most accessible by the travelling
public. IL will probably be located
AT a point somewhere west of Lafay-
cite blvd. OF course. this is detail
yet 10 be worked out between the
railroads and the city along with
many other details Of the proposed
plans
Beth the city and the Grand Trunk
officials agree that the present plan
OF elevation. which calls for a para
ll"l of the Grand Trunk and the New
York Central lines through the city.
with both lines entering a union
station. is much better than the
frs plan suggested which was to
elevate the Grand Trunk on Division
st. The first plan would have en-
tailed a depression Of many OF the
north and south business thorough