New-York tribune., 1921-11-19
Economy Seen
I'm Plan to Curb
Jam lin Subway
Distribution of Rush Traffic
Over 2-Hour Periods Will
Give Relief Pending More
Facilities, Says Engineer
Merchants. Aid Sought
Shift in Reporting Time of
Employees Needed: I.R.T.
TO Explain Dividend Plan

The suggestion Of Daniel l.. Turner,
consulting engineer of the Transit
Commission, that plan Of "stagger-
ing the peak" of travel, similar to that
proposed during the influenza epidemic
of 1918, would prove an effective eX-
pedicnt to relieve trafiice congestion
in the subways, was amplified in re-
port by Mr.. Turner, made public by
the Transit Commission yesterday. Mr..
Turner proposed the measure at the
Transit Commission hearing last
Wednesday.
| According to the engineers report
the scheme would not only bring relief
| to the strap-hangcr by distributing
traffic over the two-hour rush periods,
morning and evening, but would re-
suit in economies pending increased
facilities.
Cali for Merchants Aid
SO impressed is the commission with
the suggestion that it has requested
Mr.. Turner to consult with trade and
commercial associations, individual
| firms and employers as to the feasibil-
| ity of varying working hours in order
that the movement of workers to and
from employment may be spread over
the present congestion period.
After pointing out that the average
daily traffic on all lines is now almost
! 5,500,000, and thas 1T is increasing
daily, Mr.. Turner's report presents fig
ures compiled from surveys made on
the subways at the Grand Central Sta
ing workward movement, from 1880 to
$3.50 o'clock is the two-hour traffic
peak. In the afternoon the homeward
peak is between and Z o'clock. The
maximum traffic hour occurs between S
and o'clock in the morning and in the
evening between $3.50 and $3.50 o'clock.
The maximum half-hour traffic is be-
tween and $3.50 p. m. 1t is during a
15-mnute period, not definitely placed,
that the greatest concentration of traf-
fic occurs.
Taking the Interborough system as
an example and assuming a maximum
daily traffic of 10000 passengers, Mr.,
Turner shows the following:
Passengers
Period. carried.
Maximum fifteen minute ...-... So 1000
Maximum half hour. 1O6 600
Maximum one-h hour. ur.......... 204 900
Maximum two-hour $40 900
Two-Hour Distribution
If it is assumed that some plan
could be effected which would dis
tribute the two-hour traffic evenly
throughout the two hours, says the re-
port, the traffic would be. carried as
follows:
Passengers
Period. carried.
| Fifteen minute Observation-Disclosures. 42.50o
Haf,hou ......,.....: ......... 5000
TMeh0ur Twolhonr 1899 90"
Pointing out that during the fifteen
minute period the Interborough pro-
! vides only 23,300 seats for $4,000 pas
sengers, the report says this overload
of 100 per cent would be decreased So
per cent.
"The most important thing is the
increased traffic which the spreading
of the peak would permit the existing
port. utilizing the existing facilities S
during the entire two-hour period to
| the same extent as they are utilized
| during the maximum fifteen-minute
period would enable the existing city
owned lines to carry so per cent more
| passengers than they now carry. A
transit line will develop during the
twenty-four hours of the day an
amount of traffic proportional to its
traffic capacity at the peak Of the traf-
tic period.
This would mean in the case of the
lnte thorough alone that it could carry
100000 passengers instead of 2,00O,-
900 passengers a day."
1T was learned yesterday that when
the Transit Commission resumes it's
Investigation on Monday into the finan-
cial affairs of the Interborough the
transit company will be prepared to
explain how dividends were paid dur
ing years in which there were no earn
ings, as shown at the hearing Thurs
/ day.
The rnterborough, it was also learned
Yesterday, is favorably inclined toward
the plan of the Transit Commission
for unification of the city's traction
system. The company, it was. said
would be willing to enter the commits
sion's plan of reorganization provided
satisfactory valuation were placed on
it's securities.