Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1921-01-24
PERTH AMBOY ON BELT
Line RAILROAD; PORT
PROJECT IS DISCUSSED
This City Will be in What is Termed the Outer Belt Line
Matter Discussed by New York and New Jersey Port
and Harbor Development Commission - Means Big
Things for Perth Amboy if Carried Out.

II the plans of the New York.
New Jeresy Port and Harbor De-
velopment Commission, just made
pubic for the first time, are carried
out Perth Amboy will be the logical
steamship terminal on one of the
belt lines which shall connect this
part. of the state with the nucleus
of the New Jersey and Western New
York belt lines, established in West
Hoboken.
According to the plans laid out by
the commission and explained in
detail by its members and engineers
at a conference held with represen-
tatives of tho press in the Chamber
of Commerce Building, Liberty
street, Saturday afternoon, Perth
Amboy will be in what Is termed the
. outer belt line. This will encircle
the entire western half of the port
of New York. from tide water on
New York Bay to tide water well up
the Hudsan river. The chief i'm
mediate purpose of this belt line is
to serve as a bypass around the con-
gestion nearer the water front for
all freight that need not pass
through the Breakup yards at
West Hoboken. and as an auxiliary
to the middle belt line, that capaci-
ty of which is expected to be taxed
by increased traffic within the next
ten years.
The traffice that can be diverted
may include trainload shipments to
and from steamships. interchange
between the New York Barge Canal
and the New Jersey Railroads.
railroad interchange originating at
or destined for points beyond the
br. ,k-up yards and traffic between
the New Jersey railroads and Yonk-
ers and the communities to the
north of the city. which can be
reached from Piermont IN. Y. on
the Hudson) by car-fioat service.
This belt is by far the most ex-
tensive of the belt-line projects
recommended by the commission
and will require the most extensive
study, it is said. A tentative loca-
ton has been established through a
survey mao for the commission by
the forces OF the state engineer and
the surveyor of the State of New
York.
The line as located will begin at
Piermont. y. Y, on the Hudson
river, pass southwesterly to the
west of Paterson and the Orange
mountains, come through the
Orange range near Summit and
Up kII9lsJ> iUBI7u9S u! 9nulluoo
rection to termini on deep water,
reached by short branches. One of
these branches will be to Perth AM
boy. 1t is proposed to establish one
such terminus on Newark Bay, one
in Bayonne along the Upper Bay,
one on the east shore of Staten Is
land and one at Raritan River, pre-
ferably Perth Amboy.
At each of these termini, the re-
port points out, steamship termin-
ais will naturally be built. A large
classification yard will be required
on this outer belt line, probably IN
the vicinity of Newark Bay, and the
middle and inner belt systems should
be connected with the outer belt
near the yard, the report advises.
All of the new belt lines will open
up new territory for industrial de-
velopment and should in time han.
die a large amount of local indus
trial traffic, the commission points
out.
The commission has recommend
cd that in addition to the outer belt
line there be two other belt systems
in New. Jersey. designated as the
inner and middle belt lines. The
primary purpose of the inner or
waterfront belt lines is to serve
steamship terminals and iOdustries
along their routes. These will ex-
tend from the Palisades at Edge
water to Bayonne. The middle belt
line should extend along the east
side of the Hackensack Meadows.
% commission suggests.
The commission has just transmit
ted its joint report TO the governors
of New, Jersey and New York and
in this report a scheme is outlined
which. it points out, will relieve
freight and shipping congestion for
years to come, both on the New Jer-
sey and New York sides of the Hud-
son river and in and about New
York bay. Newark bay and the low
er New York bay. Under the new
plan practically every part of the
port of New York except Manhattan
will have tie superior advantage of
standard freight rail service without
breaking of bulk. In Manhattan
the commission finds that a standard
railroad is not feasible. 1t has there
fore proposed an underground "au-
tomato electric system" an entirely
new form of conveyor railroad
which. serving the nine New Jersey
trunk lines as well as the New York
roads. will carry freight on short
trains of special cars moving with
out locomotives or train operators,
and running between terminals in
Manhattan and joint yards away
from the congestion.