The New York herald., 1922-12-30
Proposals for Start of Pre-
liminary Work to Be
Taken Up in Week.
BEGINS AT ASTOR PLACE
Commissioner Says He Also
Wants to Rebuild Brook
lyn Bridge.

Grover A. Whalen, Commissioner OF
Plant and Structures, yesterday SUBJ
mitted to the Board Of Estimate plans
for a new East River suspension
bridge to cost $41,s20.000.
The plans CALI for bridge of the
same type as the Manhattan Bridge,
only longer and wider, to connect
Astcr place, Manhattan, with Will
iansburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
It would be the longest suspension
bridge In the world. measuring 1,soO
feet from tower to tower.
Accompanying the plans was a let
ter from Commissioners Whalen de-
scribng the project and requesting
the appropriation of 100000 for bor-
ings. surveys and detail drawings
The proposal will be considered by
the Committee OF the Whole on
Wednesday and referred to the boaro
at it's next regular meeting Friday.
The Hylan administration. exclusive
of it's transit program. has authorized
the expenditure of more than s2Oo,ooo'
900 In civic improvements. including the
following: Court House. s10,o0o.oOo
Staten Island tunnel s6o,ooo,ooo; music
center, s2o,0Oo,Ooo; new streets. $780,
10000; water supply. s17,0oO.ooo
paving, sewers. &c.. s19.ooo,ooo; Bronx
terminal market. s7,5oo,Ooo. The Hylan
subway plan will cost an additional
$500. .oO0. 900 according to Administration
estimates. or $1,000. 100000 in the
opinion of some of its critics.
Plan for Brooklyn Bridge.
Mr.. whalens letter said he had two
projects under consideration--the new
bridge and the rebuilding Of the Brook
Iyn Bridge. The latter will take six
months more 20 prepare for the ap-
proval OF the board. he said. Regarding
the proposed bridge. he said:
"Our data shows that Of the origin OF
yehicular traffic in Manhattan that
moves across .he Williamsburg Bridge
so per cent. Of It comes from the ter
ritory north of Delaney street and 20
per cent. south of Delaney street. In
the case of the Manhattan Bridge 30 per
cent. of the vehicular traffic comes from
the territory north of Canal street and
10 per cent. originates south OF Canal
street.
From these figures II is very evident
that the location of any bridge should
be somewhere norttn Of Delaney street.
Manhattan. and north of Broadway,
Brooklyn.
The most available site in this area,
traffic conditions, property
values and general topography. is. the
letter says, on the Manhattan side. the
block between Eighth and Ninth streets
running from the East River TO Astor
Place. and. on the Brooklyn side. COM
mencing at the East River between
North Third and Fifth streets. running
through to a plaza bounded by Have
meyer street, Metropolitan avenue. Lori
mer street and Ainslee street.
The plan provides: Four vehicular
roadways. two foot walks. space for
two tracks for rapid transit trains,
space for trackiess trolley cars or auto
mobile buses. new boulevard from First
avenue to Fourth avenue between Eighth
and Ninth streets. Manhattan; new
diagonal street tBrooklyn) from Brook
lyn Plaza TO Bush wick avenue. extern
sion of Meeker avenue to the Bridge
Plaza at Metropolitan and Union ave
nues and approach to Greenpoint from
North Fifth street TO Manhattan and
Nassau avenues.
Part of Transit system.