Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-18
THE cITY,s LACK OF A PLAN

sTG VI
Tn all the agitation over the elimination of the grade
crossings in This city let us not lose sight of the one uni
yersal desire to have he crossings abolished. 1t stands to
reason that no matter what plan is finally adopted, there
always will be objections. a Zig Improvement of this kind
cannot be carried out with injuring somebody. The only
recompense is that those who are actually damaged will be
reimbursed for the amount lost.
The trouble with the city at the present time is, there
is no plan which the city has TO offer in place of the one
proposed by the railroad company. Had there been a city
plan drawn when The Evening News first began to advocate
Il city plan, this problem of grade crossing elimination
would have all been worked out by experts from the city's
point of view and these plans would have been ready for
Just such an occasion as now 'confronts the city. When the
railroad company suddenly proposed the elimination of the
grade crossings, the city could have simply produced its
comprehensive city plan and shown how the city wanted
ii done. 1t would then have been the city's plan against the
railroads plan and the fact that the city's plan had been
worked out in connection with the development of the city
as a whole would have given the city a powerful argument
in its favor.
Even today, after several months of discussion, the
city has no definite plan as to what it wants. All that it can
do is to find fault with the plan the railroad engineers have
prepared. But the city does not want to assume an obstruc-
tive attitude in this matter. The elimination of the grade
crossings is greatly desired by the people of this city and it
is up to the city to get behind a constructive program.
For years we have been agitating the elimination Of
he grade crossings and now that the railroad company is
ready to eliminate them the city is the one to hold up the
-matter because it is not prepared and does not know exactly
what it wants.
1T is well for the citizens to be thoroughly informed
OH The subject. The idea of having the plans as presented
by the railroad company exhibited and explained to the peo-
pie is good, but, after all, the main thing is to get the cross
lngs eliminated. The railroad company has declared itself
ready to go ahead with this nose desirable Improvement. It
wants TO start work this spring. The time is short. The
city has been caught mapping. 1t is its own fault.
When the railroad company first proposedto eliminte
The grade crossings the Evening News suggested that the
City Plan Commission take the So, 500 that the city appro-
expert to consider just this one particular phase of NUM-
pal development. This suggestion was ignored and, appar-
emily, the city is no nearer knowing what it wants today than
it was last fall.
1t is to be hoped that this will be an object lesson for
the city officials. They ought not to be caught again in such
an unprepared condition. Yet there are big DEVELOPMENTS
under way for all this section and nothing, apparently. is
beng done to make Perth Amboy ready to meet these issues
when they are put up to the municipal authorities.
"a lew thousand dollars spent on a city plan, a plan for
lie development of The city as a whole including every phase
o municipal growth, would make Perth Amboy prepared
lot any project that might be brought up. The city would
then be in a position to protect its interest in every wav. It
would be the wisest investment that could be made with the
taxpayers money.
In the meantime, let us make the best of an embarras-
sing situation. Whatever we do, let us make sure than
some plan Tor the elimination of the grade crossings in this
city IS approved in time for the work to begin as soon as
the railroad company is ready to go ahead with the improve
ment. Then let us proceed to get a comprehensive CITY plan
50 that we Will not be caught so unprepared again.