The New York herald., 1922-03-06
URGES RETENTION
OF SURFACE LINES
Frank Bailey Says Feeder
Roads Are Vital to Construc-
ton Of Dwellings.
ny FRANK BAILEY.
President OF the Prudence Bonds
Corporation.

IFcSfuedt or fhe PrudGace-bo -bonuS
Corporation.
People, think. little appreciate how
much the housing situation is dependent
upon proper solution OF the transit
situation. especially in the Boroughs
of Brooklyn and Queens.
When the proposition that the city
should invest 5000, 1000, 900 in the ex-
tension Of the subways was discussed.
one of the prime factors which called
to its support all those interested in
civic Improvement, was that it would
open up undeveloped fields Of real
estate so that there would be an in
crease in nat and dwelling construc-
ton
II the transit situation had not
reached its present condition, there
might have been some justification for
this public belief. The results to date,
however. have been that the extensions
Of the subways have produced still
larger construction of housing for those
who live up in the air rather than for
those who occupy homes. The construc-
ton of apartments has increased and
those constructed were close to the new
transit lines where the transit was Inn
proved because of the construction OF
the subways. The feeders of these SUBJ
way lines because of the inability OF the
railroads to support them, and because
Of the cxtinguishment of the transfer,
speedily decreased in efficiency and the
construction in the outlying districts
did not increase as they would other
wise have done IL the feeder surface
lines had been able to run at proper
efficiency.
I view with great alarm the sugges-
ton that number of the surface lines
are 10 be scrapped and the whole thing
IS to be rebuilt within period OF. per-
haps. years pending the litigation and
the attempt to come to an agreement
between the present administration and
the transit commission. The best inter-
ests of the city of New York lie i'm my
judgment in doubling the surface line
mileage and insisting that these feeder
lines should run with a degree of eff
cheney so that cheaper land may be inn
proved with dwellings and people have
reasonable transit TO them
By scrapping the surface lines the
congestion is only going to be increased
and the development OF homes is going
to be decreased The lack of construc-
tion Of additional surface lines within
the past ten years. because OF the polit-
icai and other attacks upon the transit
companies. and because OF the inability
Of the transit companies to meet ex-
pcnses during the war. has retarded
the home development OF Brooklyn and
Queens.
Instead or scrapping the additional
lines at once new surface lines should
be built so as to bring the outlying
property into communication with the
subway lines and thereby bring about
home construction. cannot view with
equanimity a proposition to still fur
ther concentrate the propulation in
apartment houses.
1t is suggested that buses relieve the
transit situation as feeders TO the sub.
way. During the winter OF 1919 and
1920 when the bus relief" to transi.
was peaked. day after day the only
place on which the buses could run was
on the railroad tracks from which the
railroad had cleaned the snow: and how
the buses viii run in our hard winters
through snow. when the railroads will
not clear off the snow. is something I
do not understand.