New-York tribune., 1921-01-24
'Harbor Board
Would Connect
All Rail Lines
System of Inner and Outer
Belt Line Roads on
Both Sides of the Hudson
Is Urged as a Necessity
Accounts for Expansion
Commission of Two States
Favors Co-ordinating All
Land and Water Traffic

A system Of inner and outer belt
line railroads on both the New Jersey
and New York sides Of the hsrhor ~
New York, connecting all trunk lines
and having numerous spurs to the
various water fronts, is necessary to
bring rail lines to the tidal waters so
that the rail and water service cao ho
efficiently and economically "a.
ordinated.
The foregoing is the conclusion Of
the New York and New Jersey Port and
Harbor Development Commission in
an advance summary, released for nuh-
llcation to-day, of it's joint report lust
submitted to the Governors of New
York and New Jersey. Wherever
feasible throughout the port district
which is held to extend from Jams;c.
Bay to Newark, from Perth Ambo, -
irvlngton-on-the-E Hudson, the comro;s-
5lon believes, more rail lines should
be built.
Provides for Expansion
ouch lines, developed in such se-
quence as further study would deter.
mine, would provide for commercial
and industrial development under the
most favorable circumstances and for
1he> future growth of population and
expansion of domestic and fore;on
trade throughout the port, the commits
sion contends.
The report continues. in nar4.
iiac1lcally every part of the port
except Manhattan will have Tho 49,
perior advantage Of standard freioh+
Tall service without breaking of hnl,-
IN Manhattan the commission finds that
a standard railroad is not feasible. II
..neIe1ore proposes an underground
.'automatic-electric SYSTEM" an en-
1lrely new form of conveyor railroad
"hlcn' serving the nine New JERSEY
trunk lines as we'll as the New York
roads, VIII carry freight on short
9ralns OF special cars moving without
locomotives or train operators and
running between terminals in Manhat-
tan and joint yards away from the con-
gestion.
Two stages Of the automatic cleo
tric development are proposed. The
nrst, linking the New York Central
Railroad with the New JERSEY rail
roads through loop from a Joint yard
IN New Jersey and a spur to the New
York Centrals Sixtieth Street yard. will
do away with the surface tracks in
Tenth and Eleventh avenues and pro-
vide equal service from each of the
ten railroads at twelve union terminals
in lower Manhattan.
The second, bringing the New Haven
and Long Island railroads into the sys-
TEN through a second joint yard near
Wards and Randall's islands, which the
New York Central will also reach by
additional tracks along the Harlem
River, and providing additional lines
and stations in upper Manhattan, will
solve the New York Central Rive rside
Park problem by making possible the
complete removal Of the tracks from
the Sixtieth Street yard to Spuyten
Duyvil, and will give all parts Of Man
haitian universal rail service.
Boon to the Ship Lines
"The automat'c-electric system, with
its terminals all set we'll back from the
water front, will release the present
railroad pier stations for steamship
service, and the Marginal Way for sup
porting warehouses will eliminate the
present congestion of tracks in West
Street and the Marginal Way, and will
much nearer the shippers and con-
signees, thereby greatly reducing the
length Of haul and street congestion in
Manhattan for both inbound and out
bound freight.
THE foregoing new facilities are eX-
pected to reduce materially the car
float and railroad lighterage movement
in the harbor, but much will still re-
main. This the commission would con-
solidate into joint operation from a
few new railroad terminals at con-
venient points.
"This improved railway terminal
backbone Of rational port develop
mert, and it constitutes the physical
plan which, together with q compact
between the two states to make the
plan effective, the commission urges
for formal adoption. In furtherance
Of that rational development, though
not as q part of the official plan, the
commission recommends the following:
"Construction of food receiving sta
tions and Inauguration Of a system Of
inspection and certification at the rail-
possible the creation of terminal mar
kets around stations Of the automatic
electric systems in Mania attan and the
Bronx.
Reorganization with wider piers
and slips and more warehouse facili-
ties on the Manhattan and other CON
gested waterfronts.
"Dredging OF channels to every part
of the ports waterfront in keeping
with the volume and character of the
water-borne commerce seeking to use
them and removal or modification of
bridges obstructing the channels
"Provision of suitable highway ac-
cess to every part OF the ports water
front.
"Construction Of additional terminals
for the New York barge canal.
wide installation Of judiciously Sc
lected freight handling machinery.
Creation Of bunker facilities and
fuel reserves for steamships.
Erection of grain elevators for Joint
use Of New Jersey railroads and New
York barge canal at u southern termi-
nus OF the outer belt line, and at Pier
mont. and early completion Of the
barge canal elevator authorized at
Gowanus Bay.
"Provision of better facilities for
handling building materials.
"Zoning Of steamship terminals by
trade routes as far as practicable.
Provision for Free Ports
Establishment Of free ports in the
port district.
"Obtaining of immediate partial re-
lief from present oppressive terminal
conditions through: