New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-04-18
Figures of B. r.. T. Crowd
ing Submitted TO Transit
Commission show All
Roads Near $50 Per Cent
18th Street Big Problem
Estimate Board Criticized
for Delay; Company to
Lengthen the Platforms

hacking INTO ~ h. /. cars morning
ard night.
PEOPLE from other localities may be
IS cocprossible, but the Canarsieites
e.aet are thinner on the average or
more docile than other citizens. for
ties mark the maximum in squeeze
sbilits according to figures spread
vper the record Yesterday before the
T-a-sit Commission.
The commission latterly has been
prob ng the wa, : and means emploved
sy the transit lines in handling pas
tsnger traffic. Ghe PETERBOROUGH of
t1isls and engineers were on the grill
!er more than two weeks. 1t was the
3. r. IS turn Yesterday
Overlooking Is Steadied
". 7. Edeerton, assistant supervis-
Ing Inspector Of the commission.
equipped with charts and figures, was
on the stand, and he told about the
traffic on all Of the B. r. T. lines
The detailed figures told story of
studied overlooking on the B. r. T.
on virtually sll of its lines. but the
most conspicuous day-by day crowding
Is on the line with terminus in the
Municipal Building at Chambers
Street and the other end down by
Jamaica Bay.
The attention Of Clarence j. Shcarn.
counsel u the commission, was drawn
TO tine high mark figures when he be-
gan asking Mr.. Edgerton questions
shout the Broadway Brooklyn elevated
line which equipped with steel cars.
Before we leave this Broadway
ltrn I
find here on sheet ST. said Judge
Shearn The figures show that the
loading has gone up to 800 per cent.
From $50 to O'Clock there are four
five-car trains with 1900 seats for
5.l20 passengers, and average per
centage Of loading per car of 32O, With
l76 passengers standing in each car"
Mr.. Edgerton said that the figures
we're correct, and then gave the follow
ing summary of loading on the various
llnes from $3.50 to o'clock:
Canarsle trains. four fve-car trains,
800 per cent loads; Jamaica trains,
five seven-car trains, 218 per cent;
Myrtle Avenue, four seven-car trains,
1901 per cent load; East New York
snort line, six seven-car trains, 231 per
cent load; 111th Street short line.
three seven-car trains, 1873 per cent
load The period from to $3.50 on
the Canarsie line showed overcrowding
almost as bad.
y Fourteenth Street Loading Point
Both the Transit Commissioners and
Mr., Shearn are especially impressed
with the inaction of the Board of EST
mate in falling to finish the work on
the Fourteenth reetEastern line. the
operation Of which would relieve
greatly the jam at Broadway and
Fourteenth Street This bad spot in
the traffic problem is continually crop
ping out. Mr.. Edgerton's figures,
brought out yesterday, show that the
loading at the Fourteenth Street Man
hattan) station on March 8 was 226
per cent during the peak. an dat De
kalb Avenue curing the morning rush
-Four reached 253 per cent.
The Brooklyn Rapid Transit steel cars
have seating capacity of from sew
enty-eight to ninety-two passengers,
the maximum being reached by turning
down extra side seats. An observation
at ? o'clock at the Pacific station, with
only five cars in service. revealed
eighty people standing. At o'clock
the number of standees on three-car
trains was fifty, and at 5 o'clock
tity-three. At 6 o'clock. with more
cars in use, the standees reached
1orty-six per car. Overlooking aver
aged about the same on the Brighton
hnc, Mr. Edgerton said.
During the hearing General Manager
Nenden said that the company was
Planning to lengthen all platforms to
accommodate elght-car trains, and he
believed such reconstructions could be
completed before cold weather.
Corporation Counsel O'Brien called
attention to a loading of 283 per cent
With lat standees, observed on the
West End line Of the Brooklyn Rapid
Iranslt Manhottan-bound during d
morning rush hour Mr.. Marsh. Of the
brooklyn Rapid Transit, justified this
IN part. he said, by the greater size
OF the Brooklyn cars, so that the same
number of people stood With less dis
comfort than IN the marlborough cars.
You mean YOU can pack them in
easIer' said Mr.. O'Brien, severely.
=, res II you want to put it that way.
ttney have to be packed in at certain
horrs,' said Mr.. Marsh. "The cars
Nes built with the idea that people
would have to stand, and they always
VII nave to stand in the rush hours"
In the rush hours, to some degree"
'OSerVed Chairman McAneny.
IN framing the service order" said
~ .'HedTH, the eHOrt VIII be, so
.ar as 1t can reasonably be done. to do
sway with the necessity FOR standing,
neither YOU stand with the same de-
gee Of discomfort, or a lesser degree
discomfort on the Brooklyn line
nan you Go on the Manhattan line"
Crowding Until Midnight
overlooking in the Manhattan Brook
pa service continued pretty much un-
,...erruptedly until midnight, the aver
se standees in the evening cars being
'G 0 twenty, the figures showed.
detailed figures on the Broadway
sSsn,hattan service showed that the
ght crowding on that stretch had
zen observed mainly at Fourteenth
f aee' and I.Senty-third Street sta
sons' the greatest pressure being at
Eur'eenth Street. Judge Shearn closed
isther inquiry at the end of the day.
s.a!0ufnment was taken until Monday
L !V:S0 to permit B. r. T. officials
algest the proceedings, and their
Sahse! to prepare for crosse amina-
fgn Of Mr., Edgerton.
turner consideration OF the valua-
It"S OF the lnterborough Rapid Tran
company properties will be re-
.6 oo on Thursday of this week at
h me y, transit committee of the Brook
ohanber of Commerce has written
Bier to the Board of Estimate pro-
lbn'mag against delay in building the
ss.E1ay entrance of the Borough Hall
1 Id 'on at Montague and Court streets
4 ~, tetlticlzlng the unsightly wooden
.uc.ure which now serves. Former
! k'mptroler Herman Mot ia cboir