New-York tribune., 1921-02-03
$1,000, 900 Plan TO
Relieve Transit
jam Is Proposed
Propose Subway Loop il,
Northern Part of City,
Abolish Shuttle, and Use
Is Trucks i'm Rush Hour

The efforts of Governor Miller to
handle the transit situation brought to
light yesterday the fact that Allen A..
Canton, New York engineer, has pre-
sented to the Legislative committee in
vestigating tie Interborough's demand
for an increased fare a plan to relieve
rush-hour congestion and increase the
efficiency of subways and elevated lines
in Manhattan. This plan, according to
the engineer, can be put into operation
IN month at cost of about $1,000
600, using the present tracks, without
the expenditure of hundreds of millions
for the construction of new subways,
which would require several years.
In addition to the saving of millions
of dollars, Mr.. Canton holds that the
dream of safe transportation at u
speed of fifteen minutes from the
Bronx to the City Hall, Manhattan,
would become a reality. Because of
this increased speed and safety the
engineer argues that more persons
would move to the districts snear the
remote stations to the subways and
elevated lines, and in that way con-
gestion south of Harlem and adjacent
sections would be relieved.
Another loop in the northern sec
tion of the city is all that would be
required," said Mr.. Canton yesterday.
"The topography of Manhattan is such
that at certain periods of the day,
which have become known as the rush
hour periods, most of the travellers are
riding in the same direction. In the
morning they are rushing south; in
the evening north
ut is impossible to operate more
trains on the tracks that are being
used now under the present system Of
railroading. The trains are on top Of
one ars.ther as it is, and for that rea-
son, in the so-called rush hours, nearly
all the express trains are forced. to
crawl.
"ln the morning rush hours most of
the northbound or uptown trains are
virtually deserted for a. major part of
the route covered. ] would suggest the
number of tracks used for downtown
traffic be increased materially.
"The Interborough in Manhattan is
operated over nineteen tracks. The
Second, Third and Ninth Avenue ele-
waited lines have three each; the Sixth
Avenue line has two tracks and the
Seventh and Lexington Avenue subway
lines have four tracks each.
"It is my suggestion that fifteen
tracks be operated during rush hours
x ~ Wy NA@S~eoA. ~ ehHS i'zs"Ao 81 ~ am
OF the remaining four tracks, I hold
that two could be used for clearing
rights of way and speeding empty
trains back to the starting point. The
other two tracks, with the surface
lines, busses and B. r. r. subway,
would be sufficient to handle the pas
sengers going in the opposite direction
during the rush hour period.
."Now as for clearing the tracks: We
have loop at South Ferry and all
that would be required would be an
other loop at the northern part of the
city where all lines could be connected
and trains could be switched out
of the way"
This operation of trains also would
make it possible to cut out the Times
Square Grand Central shuttle and op-
crate some of the trains on the we'll.
known 'H' plan, by which through
trains could operate from the. Lexing-
ton Avenue line to the Seventh Avenue
subway.
sin making the necessary changes to
make this plan effective it would be
important to have all subway, surface
and II lines working as unit to move
the crowds. Propaganda which would
cause persons riding short distances to
use surface lines might be important.
No system, however near perfection
can be devised so that everybody will
be satisfied. To my mine, however,
the rushing majority are more i'm
portant than the meandering minority. q